Childish Innocence
by m-is-for-MollyMansfieldMealing
Summary: When you're running late for work, all you need is something else to set you back. However, when Connie opens the door to a lone little girl, her day decides to take quite the different turn...
1. Chapter 1

**I had the idea for this last night, but didn't get round to writing it until just now. Let me know what you think, I might carry it on if I get the time but only if you guys want me to :D **

**Enjoy, and please leave a review with your thoughts if you can! -Sophie x**

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It was a cold, crisp morning, and Connie shivered slightly under her duvet. She'd left her window open that previous evening, and was now bitterly regretting the decision. Reaching out for her phone, she pressed the home button to reveal the time; 7:45, and time to get up for work as she'd already slept in much longer than she should have.

With a slight groan, the clinical lead swung her legs over the side of the bed, instantly feeling the goosebumps rise on her smooth skin. Pushing the hair from her face, she grabbed a towel from her airing cupboard and padded into her en suite to freshen up. She let the hot water trickle down her body for 5 minutes or so, warming her to the bone before grabbing the soap and shampoo.

The woman stepped out 10 minutes later and got herself dressed quicky before applying her make-up, then making her way downstairs for a mug of coffee. Just as she flicked the kettle on to boil, there was a small knock at her door. It was so quiet she thought she was imagining things, so she stopped what she was doing and stood still; but there it was again.

She went out into the hall and took her keys from the table, before unlocking the door and un-doing the bolts. She twisted the handle and opened it.

There, in front of her, stood a small girl around the age of 4/5 with long blonde hair. She clutched a bag to her chest and looked up at the woman with wide, innocent brown eyes.

"Hello." She said, and smiled widely, revealing a small pair of shining teeth. Connie raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Hello." She replied, before looking to see if there were any adults about that could be her parents. The street was still however, and she let her gaze fall back to the little girl.

"I'm Eleanor Lillian Chambers." She said clearly, still looking up into Connie's eyes.

"Hello Eleanor Lillian Chambers. I'm Connie." The woman replied, slightly unsure as to what to do.

"Just Connie?" Eleanor asked, and Connie crossed her arms, looking down at her curiously.

"You're a nosey one aren't you?" Eleanor blinked twice but carried on smiling, and Connie felt her lips twitch at either side.

"My full name is Constance Beauchamp, but everyone calls me Connie or Mrs Beauchamp."

"Ah." Eleanor nodded enthusiastically, her little wrist watch glinting in the morning sun. It was then that Connie became conscious of the time. Her shift began in 15 minutes, and it usually took her 20 to get there. Clearing her throat, she looked around again.

"Are you here alone Eleanor? Where are your parents?" She asked, leaning on one foot then another as the girl sighed and unzipped her bag, before pulling out a letter. She handed it to Connie who read it curiously.

"Dear Mrs Chambers,

You have been accepted onto our "Travel and Tourism" course, week beginning the 17th of January. Congratulations! Please arrive at Holby International Airport for a prompt start at 8:00am.

Best regards,

Joanne Heathcliff

Ann Jaquelyn's PA."

The letter was dated the 6th of January that year, nearly 2 months ago.

"I've been by myself since the 17th of January. I found this yesterday and thought I would tell someone."

The clinical lead's eyes widened as she handed the letter back to Eleanor, who folded it neatly and slipped it back in her bag.

"You've been by yourself in your house for 2 months?!" Connie exclaimed, and she nodded. "How old are you?!"

"I'm 4, 5 in June."

The woman's mouth dropped open in sheer shock. How on earth could someone let their child stay in a house by themselves for a whole two months at the mere age of _four_?!

Connie stepped aside from the door, aware that the bitter wind was starting to pick up again, and the little girl only had a thin raincoat and t-shirt on.

"Come in. Where's your father, does he not live with you?"

"What's a "father"?" Eleanor asked, stepping inside and looking around in awe. "Your house is really pretty Connie. Ours is very untidy as mummy hadn't been there to clean it."

Evidently he _doesn't_ live with you then, she thought, the corner of her eye catching the clock, biggest hand of which was moving ever closer to number 12.

"Listen, I have to go to work today so is there anyone I can call for you? Do you have anyone's phone number?"

Eleanor shook her head, blonde curls bouncing over her shoulders. Connie bit her lip, unsure of what she should do. She should call social services, but it would take too long to get through and she'd be late for work. She couldn't call a nanny as she wasn't her daughter, and she certainly couldn't leave her in the house.

Eventually the woman sighed and shrugged on her coat before pulling her bag over her shoulder and holding out her hand.

"It looks like you're coming to work with me then. Come along, I'm late as it is."

Eleanor took Connie's hand, skin cold against the warmth of the clinical lead's palm, and let herself be lead out of the house and to the Mercedes parked in her driveway.

"Sit in the front with me, just in case. I don't have a booster seat anymore so you'll have to do without."

"Ok." She smiled, cheeks pink where the wind had bit at them and she climbed up and onto the seat, before reaching for her seatbelt and clicking it in place. Connie started up the engine and drove down her driveway and onto the road.

"What did you mean, you don't have a booster seat _anymore_?" Eleanor asked, unzipping her bag that she had placed on her knee.

"I used to have one but I threw it away."

"Why did you used to have one?"

"Because my daughter needed it."

"You have a daughter?"

"Yes."

"What's she called?"

"Grace."

"Does she live in that pretty house too?"

Connie's breath caught in her throat as she thought of her little girl over in America.

"No, she doesn't."

"Why doesn't she live with there with you?"

"Why are you so nosey?" Connie retorted irritably, swerving a car that pulled out in front of her, and she slammed her hand on the horn sharply.

"IDIOT!" She yelled out of her window, glaring at the retreating car in her mirror before coughing and collecting herself together again.

"Sorry." Eleanor whispered, looking down before pulling out a small, white lion teddy from her bag and clutching it tightly. Connie sighed and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear as she turned left, sending them both flying sideways.

"Eleanor, I didn't mean that, it's just I don't like to talk about it. Ok? Anyway, we're almost there now."

"Ok. Where's "there"?" She asked quietly, looking around.

"Holby City Hospital. I'm a doctor."

Suddenly the girl's head snapped up, and she looked at Connie in awe.

"Really? I want to be a doctor when I'm older. I might be able to make mummy better then."

Connie's brow creased as she pulled into the car park.

"Has your mother been ill Eleanor?" She asked, parking the car in her usual spot. The girl nodded and zipped her bag up, still holding her soft toy.

"She said her brain was sick so it was making her sick too. She said making her laugh and drawing her pretty pictures would help make her brain better again. But I don't think it did." She added, opening the car door and getting out, with the clinical lead doing the same.

Something about this child intrigued Connie. There was an air about her that told the woman something wasn't quite right, and that not everything was as it seemed. Biting her lip again, the woman smiled slightly and held out her hand for the little girl to take, then they made their way towards the entrance to the emergency department, Connie's mind whirring with questions.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello!**

**Thank you so much for the lovely reviews on the previous chapter! I really hope you enjoy this one, and I put in a little Holby City reference for those of you who watch that too :) Reviews are welcomed as always! -Sophie x**

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They walked through the doors and into the busy hustle and bustle of reception. The ice on the pathways created by the freezing temperatures during the night had caused many slips and trips, meaning they were swamped with patients waiting to be seen. Connie internally groaned as she surveyed the room and went over to reception to sign in. Noel turned to say good morning, but stopped when he noticed the little girl clinging onto her hand, eyes looking around in wonder. She looked up to see Noel staring at her, and she smiled brightly.

"Are you a doctor?" She asked, eyes moving to rest on Louise who stood next to him, equally taken aback.

"Um, no, no-" He began, but Connie finished signing in and cut him off.

"He's a receptionist. Noel, Louise, this is Eleanor. Now, if you'll kindly excuse us…"

She tugged at the girl's hand for her to carry on walking, and with a quick wave, followed the clinical lead to her office. Connie unlocked it and went inside, motioning to the sofa that sat against one wall.

"Sit down Eleanor, I just need to get my computer started up then we can sort you out, ok?"

"Ok." The little girl looked around the bleary office, eyes scanning the various pictures and health posters she had up on her walls. When she got to the desk, she noticed a small photo frame stood next to Connie's computer monitor, and without thinking about it, she got up and wandered over to look at it.

It was a picture of a young girl, about 3 or 4 years older than she was, and she had long brown hair which was partially covered by a pair of ear muffs. She was grinning, her eyes dancing and cheeks rosy. She looked a lot like Connie actually…

It was then that it clicked who the girl was.

"Is that Grace?" Eleanor asked, prodding the photo frame gently. Connie looked away from her computer screen and to where the girl stood, before letting her face soften and she smiled, reaching a hand out to move the frame back in place.

"It is. She lives with her father in New York now, which is where the photo was taken."

"Where's New York?" She asked curiously, going to sit down and pulling her bag onto her knee.

"It's in another country called America. It's a very long way away, about 12 hours on an aeroplane." Connie explained, eyes very slowly moving back to the computer monitor.

They both sat in silence whilst Connie typed on her computer, looking over to Eleanor every few minutes. She was a very good child for her age; she sat very still and just gazed about the room, her little hands clutching her lion tightly. The clinical lead watched as she rubbed the fabric between her fingers, and flicked the zip forwards and backwards as if to comfort her. Connie sat back in her computer chair and clasped her hands together in her lap.

"What's in your bag?" She asked, looking down at it then back to the girl's innocent face.

"Just some things I didn't want to leave behind." She replied, "Do you want to see?"

Connie hesitated for a moment then nodded, standing up and going to sit on the sofa. With a bit of luck, there might be something in there that could be a clue as to what she was doing sat in her office. Eleanor tipped out the contents of the bag, and placed it gently on the floor before going through each item in turn.

"This is just the spare key so I could lock the door." She flashed the small piece of metal before slipping it into her pocket.

"This is the letter I showed you. It's the only thing I could find that could tell me were mummy was. I still don't really know."

She put it down next to her and picked up a necklace with a small dragonfly on it.

"This is what my nanna gave mummy before she died. Mummy gave it to me then so I could look pretty."

She handed it to Connie who turned it over in her fingers. The dragonfly caught the light from the ceiling and glinted; it's different colours making a pattern on the wall. She put it to one side and looked to Eleanor again who was holding a crumpled picture in her hands.

"This is mama and me when I was born."

She passed that to Connie too, who looked down into the tired, yet loving eyes of who must be Eleanor's mother. In the photo, her long blonde hair lay matted and knotty on her pillow, and her face was pale, exhausted from child birth. She was a very thin woman, but there was no denying she was very beautiful. In her arms sat a small white bundle, with a small tuft of hair peeking out from the blanket.

"You were very small when you were born." Connie commented, placing the picture on top of the dragonfly necklace. The little girl just nodded, before picking up her lion.

"This is Jac the lion. She's named after the really fierce tiger I saw at the zoo when I went with nursery. It roared really loudly, and scared most of us but I kept watching her. She was really pretty."

Connie laughed slightly.

"I know someone called Jac that sounds a bit like that." She murmured, and Eleanor looked up.

"What?" She said, but Connie just shook her head.

"Doesn't matter. So, what's this?" She asked, picking up the remaining item- a small, purple notebook. Eleanor immediately looked panicked and snatched it off of her before cradling it to her chest.

"This is my diary. I'm the only person allowed to touch it, ok?" She said, eyes worried as she looked at Connie who put her hands up quickly.

"That's fine, I won't touch it I promise. Though can you actually write? You're only 4."

The little girl smiled slightly, running her thumb over the edges of the notebook.

"I'm the best writer in my class at school." She said. "Miss Moses says I could be a writer someday. But I've already told her I want to be a doctor." She clarified, before picking up her bag and putting everything back.

"That was really interesting, thank you for showing me." Connie said softly, before standing up and going back to her desk. Eleanor just looked round, swinging her legs to and fro.

"Am I staying here all day?" She asked, just as Connie picked up the phone, ready to phone social services. She paused, hand hovering over the number pad. This wasn't really a phone call a girl of 4 should be listening to, she thought, looking through her window and out into cubicles. Dylan stood at the nurse's station, typing away at a computer. She raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly, before standing up and going over to where the little girl sat.

"I just need to make a phone call, so you're going to have to go elsewhere for a bit. Luckily I know just the person. He's a doctor here, and he really loves kids too." She held out her hand and the girl took it, picking up her bag as Connie lead her out of her office and over to the nurses station. Dylan looked up at the sound of heels, and his face dropped slightly when he noticed the girl clinging onto Connie's hand.

"Good God, I thought you only had one child? Don't tell me there's two of them." He pulled a face and Connie just rolled her eyes.

"Dylan, this is Eleanor. Eleanor, this is Dylan, he's a very important doctor here. You're going to stay with him for a while until I've finished on the phone."

Connie leant over her blonde locks and murmured "Lose her and you'll know about it." Before turning and going back to her office, leaving Eleanor delighted and Dylan mortified, together at the nurse's station. Connie grinned as she shut her door behind her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello lovely people! Here's chapter 3- it explains why Eleanor introduces herself with her full name, just in case any of you wondered :) I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review if you can! They mean a lot, and feel free to complain about the lack of Casualty this evening too ;) -Sophie x **

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Dylan looked down at the little girl, hands on his hips. She looked back up at him, her eyes wide but glittering. Sighing slightly, he spoke.

"Um, right. Ok, who are you, exactly?"

"I'm Eleanor Lillian Chambers." She replied, beginning to twirl her bag around. "What's your full name?"

The consultant just blinked.

"Dylan Keogh. Why are you her-" He began to talk again, but was interrupted by a loud call from Lofty in one of the cubicles.

"Dylan? A little help here?" The sounds of vomiting swept over to where he stood, and Dylan just rolled his eyes.

"I work with a bunch of incompetents." He muttered, pulling on a pair of gloves and going over to the cubicle he'd shouted from, shoes squeaking on the polished tiles.

"What does incompetent mean?" A little voice piped up beside him as the man ripped back the curtain to reveal a woman throwing up into a cardboard bowl. Dylan looked down at her, and then to Lofty.

"Lofty, please will you take this girl anywhere that isn't here please." He asked, moving to check the woman's monitor. Lofty looked at her then back to Dylan.

"Um, ok. Come on." He said, confused as she slipped her hand in his and skipped along beside him, bag crashing into his leg with every step.

"So, um, who are you then?" He asked, leading her to the staffroom.

"I'm Eleanor Lillian Chambers. Is Lofty your real name?" She enquired, watching as the curly haired nurse opened the door and let her in, shutting it behind them. He turned and noticed Robyn and Max sat on the sofa, watching them.

"Uh, no. It's uh, Benjamin. Benjamin Chiltern."

"Then why did Dylan call you Lofty?"

"It's a long story." He muttered, getting two glasses from the cupboard above the sink and filling them with water before passing her one. "Why do you want to know anyway?"

She took a loud slurp and stood on her tiptoes to place the glass back on the counter.

"You can't know someone properly if you don't even know their full name, can you?" Eleanor said as if were the most obvious thing in the world. Lofty looked taken aback, and out of the corner of his eye he could see his housemates staring at him.

"Wow. That's pretty deep for a… um, how old are you?"

"4, 5 in June." She smiled sweetly. Lofty cleared his throat, glancing to the nurse and porter on the sofa.

"Well I need to get back to cubicles, so I'm going to leave you with Robyn and Max if that's ok? I live with them, they're nice enough." He winked and left quickly, looking back to see the girl reach for her water again and go over to the sofa.

"Hi." Eleanor grinned at them both before pushing her water onto the table and climbing onto the soft seat, swinging her legs as she looked from one adult to the other.

"Hi, Eleanor isn't it?" Robyn asked, eyes bright as she nodded.

"Eleanor Lillian Chambers. What are your full names?"

"Well I'm Robyn Miller, and this is my half-brother Max Walker." Max waved slightly and the little girl looked at him curiously. The porter blinked a few times before whispering sideways, "what is she doing?".

"Why are you a half-brother if you're all there?" Eleanor looked at Robyn who promptly grinned.

"Trust me sweetheart, he's not all there." She laughed, earning herself an elbow to the side from her sibling and an even more confused look from Eleanor.

"If you're a half-brother or sister it means you have the same mum and a different dad, or the same dad and a different mum. You'll understand more when you're older." She smiled. "So, are you here with your parents?"

Eleanor looked down, messing with the strap on her bag.

"I don't know where my mummy is. And I don't have a "father". Well, that's what Connie said anyway."

Robyn looked at Max who looked back at her, eye raised.

"How did you get here then?" The kindly nurse prompted gently.

"I knocked on Connie's door this morning and told her I was all alone. She said she'd bring me into work with her."

"So you came in with Mrs Beauchamp?!" Eleanor nodded, sitting Jac the tiger on her knee. Before Robyn could ask anything else, the door opened and Tess came in, looking round and smiling when she spotted them.

"Robyn, Max- you're needed in cubicles…" She trailed off when Eleanor turned around and smiled at her. "Oh, I didn't know you had company. Who's this?"

"I'm Eleanor Lillian Chambers. What's your name?" She asked, resting her chin on the back of the sofa. Tess just raised an eyebrow and looked over her head to Robyn.

"She likes knowing people's full names." She shrugged, and the older woman smiled slightly.

"I'm Tess Bateman, I'm a nurse here. Where're your parents sweetheart?"

"She doesn't know where her mother is, and there's no father." Robyn quickly interrupted. "Mrs Beauchamp brought her in apparently." She added, and Tess raised her other eyebrow before smiling down at the blonde haired girl.

"Well it's nice to have met you Eleanor, but Robyn and Max really need to go. Shall I take you back to Connie now?"

Eleanor nodded and took one last gulp of her water before jumping down from the sofa and picking up her bag.

"Bye Robyn, bye Max." She smiled, and they waved as Tess took her outstretched hand and lead her back towards Connie's office.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello! Here's the next update, sorry it's so late- I've been in Berlin with school :) Hope you all enjoy and reviews would be lovely! Meanwhile, I'm going to watch Saturday's episode! -Sophie x**

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The clinical lead had just finished on the phone when Tess knocked on her door.

"Come in." She called, and the nurse pushed open the door.

"Oh, Tess, I can't talk, I need to go find someone." Connie said, pushing her chair back as Tess ushered in Eleanor, and Connie stopped.

"Eleanor? You're meant to be with Dylan!"

"I know but he was busy so Lofty took me to the staffroom. Then he left me with Robyn and Max, but Tess said they had to get back to work, so now I'm here." She finished, sitting down on Connie's little sofa where she sat before. Connie pushed her chair back in and looked up at Tess before smiling.

"Thanks, that saved me a job."

"You're welcome. I'd better go." She backed away and shut the door before walking off towards resus. The clinical lead turned to look at the little girl, and put her hands together on the table.

"Eleanor?" She looked up from where she was watching her legs dangle over the side of her seat.

"I spoke to somewhere called social services on the phone just then. They're people who are there to help children just like you, ok? They said you can go stay in a nice big house with lots of other children until they find your mum. Would you like that?"

Eleanor shifted where she sat, and looked down again before shaking her head slightly. Connie frowned.

"No? Why not?"

She was quiet for a minute, eyes unmoving and blonde curls falling forwards over her shoulders.

"It's only ever been me and mummy. I don't want to live with lots of other children. What if they're mean to me and mummy isn't there to tell them off?"

She began to look tearful as she clutched her lion tightly, and Connie tilted her head to one side.

"There'll be someone there to look after you. Someone to act like your mother until we find her." The woman tried to make it sound positive, but it was no use- small tears began to fall down the girl's cheeks, and she sniffled quietly. Connie took the box of tissues from her desk, and went to sit next to her.

"Here, dry those eyes." She said quietly, watching the girl dab at her eyes and wipe her nose.

"I don't want someone to act like my mummy, I want my real mummy!"

Connie was at a loss of what to say or suggest. She just sat next to the sobbing girl, hands clutching the square tissue box. Eleanor coughed before looking up at Connie, chocolate eyes pleading, and sniffed.

"Can't I stay with you instead?"

The woman next to her was taken aback, and she rearranged herself quickly.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible. You need to stay with a professional child minder."

"But you have Grace, you know how to look after me."

"Yes, but-" Connie went to go on, but her crumpled, tear stained face stopped her. She sighed softly.

"It's complicated."

"Then make it not complicated." She suggested, voice now that of a whimper. The clinical lead smiled.

"If only it were that simple. Anyway, I thought you said you wanted your actual mother?"

Eleanor shrugged, hands still containing crumpled tissues. "I'd like it more staying with you than in a big place with lots of other children. It would be like being at home again."

Connie felt her heart stir, and she felt a sudden rush of emotion towards the little girl sat beside her.

"Tell you what." She said softly, placing her hand on Eleanor's. "I'll talk to social services and see what they say, ok? I'm not making any promises, but I'll see what I can do."

Eleanor's eyes lit up as she threw her arms around Connie's slim waist.

"Thank you thank you thank you!" She exclaimed, her golden curls tickling the clinical lead's neck.

"In the meantime, how about we get you some dinner? We have a little shop by the entrance, you can choose yourself something whilst I make the call."

The girl nodded and Connie stood before going and opening the door. She found Max wheeling an empty wheelchair back towards the stowing area, and called his name.

"Will you take Eleanor to the shop please to choose some lunch? Use this." She handed him a £20 note before motioning for the little girl to join her at the door.

"Max's going to take you to the shop." She smiled and watched her leave the room, before letting the door fall shut.

"Sooooo…" Max said awkwardly, sticking his hands in his pockets, "What do you want for lunch?"

Eleanor clutched his sleeve as they bypassed a trolley, and thought for a minute.

"Fish fingers."

"Yeah, um, not sure they do those here."

"Oh." Her face fell as they reached reception, and Max led her over to the shop.

"Choose what you like." He gestured to the sandwiches and kept an eye on her as she looked at each shelf. Once her arms were full, she went to the counter and let the items spill onto the surface. Max raised an eyebrow as the barista began to scan the items.

"A packet of tomato crisps, a packet of jammy dodgers, a box of dairy milk chocolates and a tangerine youghurt." He commented, handing over the money. "Interesting choices."

"Thanks." She beamed at him before taking the carrier bag, thanking the barista and following Max back to Connie's office.

"Are you having any dinner Connie?" Eleanor asked, stuffing the last of her crisps into her mouth, crumbs tumbling down her chest. Connie shook her head as she typed.

"No, I'm too busy today."

"Too busy? You're never too busy to eat." She said knowlingly, and Connie's lips twitched.

"I run this department remember, I'm a very busy lady."

"That's no expuse."

Connie looked over to her as she opened up her jammy dodgers.

"Do you mean excuse?" She asked, smiling when the girl nodded. Eleanor got up, two jammy dodgers in one hand and the chocolates in the other. She put them on Connie's desk and shoved them towards her.

"These are for you. Dinner and a thankyou." She grinned and the clinical lead's mouth opened slightly in shock.

"Eleanor, you really don't have to-" she began, but the girl cut her off.

"You didn't have to look after me but you are." She shrugged, and Connie smiled even wider as she picked up a biscuit and popped it in her mouth.


	5. Chapter 5

**Helloooo! I've just been writing so I thought I'd post this chapter whilst I was at it :) I hope you enjoy as the outcome is what most of you wanted, and reviews are always welcomed! -Sophie x**

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"Did you phone the social people?" Eleanor piped up, rooting through her bag. Connie carried on typing, her eyes flitting from one side of the screen to the other as her fingers worked at lightning speed.

"I did. They said they'll phone me back before 5pm."

The little girl looked up to the clock, and saw that it was just passed 4 O'clock already. She went back to going through her bag, until she brought out her purple notebook.

"Connie please can I borrow a pen?" She asked when she realised she'd forgotten hers. The woman tore her eyes from the screen to find a pen in one of her drawers. She threw it to Eleanor who caught in, and she began to write in her diary.

Connie couldn't help but glance over as the little girl scribbled away, tongue between her lips with concentration. The clinical lead saved her work and leant back slightly, watching as Eleanor's hand shot from one side of the notebook to the other. Grace had loved her diaries too; though she never let them out of her sight, and hid them so her mother never found them. It was only when the girl packed for America that Connie realised she'd hid them in one of the floorboards.

Her eyes fell upon the photo of her daughter she kept on her desk, and Connie couldn't help but smile. It had been weeks since she last video chatted with Grace, and she was really beginning to miss seeing her.

It was then that the phone rang, splitting the silence of the room as the woman leaned out and picked up the piece of plastic.

"Connie Beauchamp." She said, her voice steely and professional, though it softened considerably when she realised who was phoning.

"Hello Mrs Beauchamp, its Sarah Fields from Holby City's Social Services department."

"Oh, hello again Miss Fields. Do you have the verdict from upstairs yet?"

"I do, which is why I'm calling." Eleanor looked up as Connie crossed her legs, looking down at the floor as she smoothed her skirt.

"I've spoken to the Head of Child Housing, Mr Alec Marshall about your situation. He did a background check on you- any CRB checks, criminal record, past history etc., and saw no reason why you shouldn't be allowed to look after Eleanor. This means you can look after her for as long as you'd like, or until we find her a family member to stay with- it's entirely up to you."

"Oh that's brilliant news, she'll be ecstatic." Connie smiled, giving Eleanor the thumbs up and she clapped her hands with glee.

"Great. Well, we'll phone you back in a week's time to see how long you'd like to house her, unless we find a family member then we'll phone back as soon as possible. Is that ok?"

"That's marvellous, thank you Miss Fields."

"Alright, any concerns then don't hesitate to ring me on this number."

"I won't. Thank you very much."

"You're welcome. Goodbye now."

"Goodbye." Connie put the phone down, unable to keep a straight face as Eleanor jumped about, a huge grin forming from ear to ear.

"You'll be staying with me until we find a family member for you to go to, which you seem very very pleased about." The clinical said bemusedly, her eyes bright as she realised just how happy she'd made this little girl. Eleanor nodded enthusiastically before jumping back onto Connie's little sofa again, cheeks red with excitement.

"It's going to be so fun! Your house is so big it will be like staying in a hotel! And it's clean and warm too, oh I can't wait!" She beamed, her eyes on the clock as she childishly willed the seconds to go faster.

Without really thinking about it, Connie soon found herself doing the same thing.


	6. Chapter 6

**Another short one here, but the next will be longer I promise :D Also, in the next update you'll find out more about Eleanor's home life, and from there on much more about her and her mother, which I'm planning to be rather sad (surprise surprise) but also quite interesting :D I may as well write in advance seeing as I have the time now, being off for a couple of weeks!**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this little filler chapter and reviews would be very lovely :D -Sophie x **

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At 5 O'clock on the dot, Connie left her office, right hand holding Eleanor's as they made their way through to reception so the clinical lead could sign out. Most of the day staff had congregated there, pulling on various coats, hats and scarves ready to venture outside. They looked up at the sound of Connie's heels, and a few smiled at the little girl beside her.

"Hello again Eleanor." Tess smiled as Charlie helped her with her coat. "All ready to go home?"

"I'm staying with Connie for a bit, it's going to be so fun!" She beamed, looking up at the staff who instantly raised their eyebrows. Connie shook her hand slightly as she signed the register.

"Alright Eleanor, you don't need to announce it to everyone." She muttered, avoiding her team's gaze as she stood and did the buttons up on her coat. The door to the entrance opened, and huge gust of icy wind swept through reception. Connie shivered before looking down at the little girl, realising then that she only had her raincoat to keep her warm. She paused for a moment before pulling the black woollen scarf from her neck.

"Here, we don't want you getting a chill do we?" She said quietly, wrapping it around the girl's neck and tucking the ends into her coat.

"Have my hat too sweetheart." Tess butted in, removing it from her head and placing it on Eleanor's. "It's almost into the minus' out there."

"And I have another pair of gloves at home, so you can have these." Rita smiled, handing them to her. "My hands are quite small too." She winked.

Connie was slightly taken aback at their generosity, and felt Eleanor's hand slip from hers as she hugged Tess and Rita, hat slipping down her face.

"Thankyou, that's… very lovely of you." Connie cleared her throat before smiling slightly and holding out her hand. "Come along Eleanor, time to go get settled in."

"Bye bye, thank you Tess and Rita!" She called over her shoulder as they left the emergency department. The crowd of staff immediately burst into gossip, with a few just stood staring at the doors with a very confused look on their faces.

"Who the hell was that?" Charlie asked, picking up his bag from the floor.

"Beats me." Cal shrugged, tucking his scarf into his brown coat. Ethan and Lily who stood beside him also seemed very lost. It was then that Zoe made her way into reception, rubbing her hands together as she clip-clopped over to reception, looking back over her shoulder as she walked.

"Was I seeing things then, or did Connie just walk out of here with a little girl?" She asked as she approached her colleagues, "I thought she only had one mini monster?"

Tess couldn't help but laugh.

"You're not seeing things, no. But she isn't Connie's, before the rumours start. Her name is Eleanor Chambers, she turned up on Connie's doorstep this morning. She was telling me earlier that she doesn't know where her mother is, and there's no sign of the father. Connie seems to have taken a shine to her though; she's staying with her for a while apparently. And by the way, she actually seems very pleasant- the total _opposite_ of Grace." The nurse winked at Zoe before pulling her hand bag down from the desk and setting off for the car park, Charlie joining her.

The consultant blinked a few times as she watched them go.

"Well, if this much gossip happens on the day shift nowadays, then I'm never choosing nights again." She decided before signing in and slipping round the group to go to her office, rolling her eyes when she received a slap on the bum from Max as she passed him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Here's the slightly sadder chapter!**

**I was wondering, do any of you have any ideas/theories about Eleanor's mother? I know vaguely what I'm going to do and I've left hints here and there, but I was wondering if you guys had any ideas from what you've read :D**

**Let me know in the reviews if you do, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! -Sophie x**

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"Could you direct me to your house from here Eleanor?" Connie asked, eyes on the road as she pulled off of the motorway. The little girl craned her neck and looked around, before spotting Asda in the distance.

"I think so." She said uncertainly, "I used to go shopping with mummy there." She pointed to the large supermarket, and Connie made her way towards it.

"I was thinking we could stop off at your house to collect some things before we go back to mine. Is that ok?"

The little girl nodded and pointed down the road they were on.

"Go down there, I'll tell you when to turn."

As they went further down the road, the large semi's slowly turned into long lines of council houses, all clumped together in rows of 10. Without realising what she was doing, Connie locked her doors and wound the windows up.

"It's the next… um…" Eleanor held her hands up in an L and backwards L shape. "Next left, I think."

Connie smiled to herself as she turned down a small street that lead to a dead end. The blonde haired child gestured to a snicket between two of the houses, and Connie turned the engine off.

"It's just down there." Eleanor said, undoing her seatbelt. Connie hesitated- she didn't particularly want to leave her Mercedes alone in an area like this.

"Isn't there any way to reach it by car?" She asked, but the girl just shrugged.

"I don't know. We don't have a car." Eleanor said simply. Connie bit her lip and nodded.

"Alright. We can't be too long though, ok? Straight in and straight out as soon as we can."

Eleanor nodded, and Connie unlocked the doors so they could get out. She locked it twice before taking the girl's hand and walking down the snicket, peering back every few seconds to ensure it was still there.

The snicket brought them out at the entrance to a circle of houses with a grassy island in the middle, where two horses were munching on the overgrown greenery. Eleanor's face lit up and she broke away from Connie's grasp.

"Ellie! Dobby!" She called, and the two horses looked up before moving towards the little girl. Connie darted forwards before she knew what she was doing, and grabbed Eleanor's hand.

"Be careful, they could end up hurting you!" She exclaimed, but the small figure just smiled and shook her head.

"They're nice horses. They belong to the travelling people who live behind us- they always let me stroke them and feed them apples."

"Are you sure?" Connie was sceptical as the two beasts watched their every move. The girl nodded enthusiastically.

"Watch." She tugged away from the clinical lead and moved towards them slowly, her hand out. The horses bent down and snuffled her small hand, and she giggled before stroking them on the nose.

"Told you! Come stroke them!" Eleanor called, but Connie shook her head. She always regarded them as smelly, dangerous and unclean creatures, and had managed 46 years of not going near them- which meant she wasn't going to start now.

"We need to go collect your things, maybe on the way back." The woman called, and the girl nodded before skipping off towards the first house on their left. It was the same as the other council houses they'd passed; small, with a dirty, untidy garden. Connie grimaced as she stepped through the gate that Eleanor had held open for her, and stepped over the small piles of cat faeces that littered the path to her front door.

"Do you have a cat, Eleanor?" Connie asked, holding the girl's bag so she could look for her key.

"No. There's lots of strays though." Her small hand emerged clutching her key, and she unlocked the door before going inside. Connie entered behind her and looked around.

The girl had been right- the place was a tip. There were piles of rubbish all over the floor, and numerous piles of unopened letters followed you as you went up the stairs. It was all very dim and dark, with the wallpaper a deep red in a past life. Now it was more dirty brown, and the carpet the same. Eleanor hopped over the obstacles and went into the kitchen, Connie right behind her, trying not to trip in her Louboutins.

The kitchen was darker than the hall, and it smelt like something very odd that the woman just couldn't put her finger on.

"Do you want a drink?" Eleanor asked, reaching for one of the top cupboards and taking out a white and black striped mug which she then filled with tap water. Connie shook her head.

"No thank you. Want me to come with you whilst you pack?"

"I'm ok by myself. You can wait here, if you move the post from that chair then you can sit down." She smiled, pointing to a stack of white letters before bounding off upstairs. If she hadn't have pointed it out, the woman wouldn't even had noticed that there was a table and chairs there. She moved the letters, some opened and some not, onto the table and brushed the seat before sitting down.

Connie looked about the room, her eyes coming to rest on the fridge next to her. On it were some pictures and various drawings, evidently created by Eleanor. Connie smiled as she noticed one was a drawing of her and a taller woman, who was labelled "mummy" with a heart next to it. Upon closer inspection though, she noticed a few slightly odd things; for starters, there was a clump of different coloured dots next to her mother's feet. Then she realised Eleanor had drawn her with a sad face, rather than a happy one like her own. Connie's brow creased as she then noticed a grey cloud above her mother's head, whereas there was a sun above hers.

"Do you like it? I did it all by myself." The voice made her jump and she span round to see Eleanor stood in the doorway, her bag looking fuller and a small pink suitcase at her feet.

"It's very good. Certainly better than anything I could do." Connie smiled before standing and clasping her hands together gently.

"Right, what have you packed?" She asked, looking from the bag to the case.

"In my case are all the tops, bottoms, knickers and socks I have, as well as my jacket, blanket, pajamas and towel. In my bag are my toothbrush, my sponge and some things for me to do." She reeled off, counting on her small fingers as she went. Connie nodded and smiled before going to pick up her case.

"That sounds great. Come on then, let's get back to the car."

Just as the girl was about to lock the door, she paused and quickly opened it again before running back in. She came back a few seconds later, carrying two squishy brown apples that looked way past their best by date.

"For Ellie and Dobby." She explained when Connie raised an eyebrow.

"Fair enough."

They walked back to the car, stopping only for Eleanor to give the horses her treats. Before she got in, Connie sprayed half a can of deodorant on herself, and a little on Eleanor when she asked. Then she lathered her hands in anti-bacterial hand-wash, again with a little for Eleanor, then they set off back to Connie's house.


	8. Chapter 8

**Next update! Hope you all enjoy and reviews would be lovely :D -Sophie x**

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"You walked a fair old way to get to my house didn't you." Connie commented as they pulled into her driveway.

"I didn't think it was that far away." Eleanor shrugged, picking up her bag from the foot-well and slamming the door. Connie winced at the harsh sound, before locking her beloved vehicle and going to open the door.

"I do have one question though, that's been bugging me since this morning." She turned the key in the lock and opened the door, letting the little girl go in before her.

"What?" She asked, jumping to hang her raincoat up on the banister. Connie locked the door and slipped her shoes off under the coat rack, before moving Eleanor's coat and putting it with hers above her shoes. The girl copied Connie and placed her trainers gently next to the woman's tall heels.

"Why did you come to my house? There were quite a few closer to home weren't there?" Connie asked, opening the door to the living room and going inside. The little girl looked round in awe as the woman shut the blinds and curtains. She gestured for her to sit down, and she did so very daintily on the edge of the armchair.

"These houses looked much nicer than the ones where I live, and yours was the first one I saw with the lights on." Eleanor said simply, her eyes still wide as she looked around. "Its so clean!" She whispered to herself, and Connie couldn't help but smile, if in a sad sort of way. Her house had been truly awful- there was mould all over the ceilings, it smelt horrible, it was very unclean, very disorganised, there didn't seem to be much food about and the house itself was incredibly tiny. Connie's house truly must seem like a palace compared to that place.

"Would you like a drink Eleanor?" She asked, and the girl nodded.

"Follow me then and I'll see what I've got in." Connie left the room and went through to the kitchen, Eleanor hot on her trail. Her mouth visibly dropped when she entered the room.

"It's huge!" She said in sheer astonishment, "And everything sparkles it's so clean!"

"I have a cleaner to tidy up after me." The woman smiled, opening up one of the bottom cupboards.

"I've got orange juice, apple juice, blackcurrant squash or lemonade."

"Um… Can I have the blackcurrant thingie please?"

"Of course you can." She brought the bottle out of the cupboard and poured a little into a glass, which she then filled with water and handed to the little girl.

"Thank you." She said quietly as she sipped at it, still looking around the room.

"What sort of meals did you have at home? What foods do you eat?" Connie asked, putting the kettle on to boil and a teabag in her favourite mug.

"Whatever was easy. We had a lot of things we could microwave. Or just put in the oven. My favourites were fish fingers and spaghetti."

"Oh. Well, I usually make my own meals, it's not often I use already prepared ones. I can make spaghetti Bolognese for you though if you'd like?" Connie offered, pouring the boiling hot water into her mug. Eleanor nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes please! With cheese!"

Connie smiled before sipping her tea and pulling an apron on.

"With cheese. Do you want to stay and watch?"

Her eyes widened and her face lit up.

"Can I? I've never seen anyone cook before!"

Poor girl, Connie thought as she bit her lip slightly. Brought up on ready meals in a house you could become seriously ill in, with no adult for a full two months. It's no life for a child.

"Of course you can. You can sit here at the breakfast bar out of harm's way." She patted the surface as the girl tried to get on one of the stools, which was met with much difficulty.

"Need a hand?" Connie asked, and she nodded, huffing slightly. The woman gently picked her up, surprised at how light she was, and sat her on the stool facing the sink and cooker.

Connie began to cook the meal, and could feel Eleanor's eyes watching her every move. When it got to waiting for the mince to fry in the sauce, the clinical lead glanced over to the girl to see her deep in concentration. She seemed to be drawing on a piece of A4 paper with crinkled edges, and only looked up when a steaming plate was gently placed in front of her. She quickly stuffed the paper into her bag and picked up a fork.

"You don't have to finish it all if you get full." Connie smiled, and sat opposite the girl as they began to eat. There had been only a small amount of cheese left, and even though the woman never ate spag bol without some cheddar, she gave it all to Eleanor anyway.

Connie watched the girl as she ate; gulping down the bits of mince and tomatoes like there was no tomorrow.

"Slow down, it's not going anywhere! You'll give yourself a tummy ache if you eat it so fast." Connie smiled, winding the pasta around her fork as Eleanor grinned, flecks of sauce scattered all over her cheeks.

"Sorry, it's just this is the best spaghetti I've ever had. It's really really yummy!"

"Thank you, but you really must slow down. If you save some room for pudding then we'll open those chocolates you gave me earlier." She winked and Eleanor tried to wink back, but ended up looking like she had something in her eye.

Connie couldn't help but laugh.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hallo!**

**I hope you all enjoyed Easter and bank holiday Monday! I unfortunately spent mine doing chores :'(**

**Anywho, here's the latest chapter! I hope you all enjoy it (the last bit is quite emotional) and reviews would be lovely :D -Sophie x**

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After Connie had washed, dried and put away, she led Eleanor up to her spare room and helped her unpack. The room was just the right size; not too spacious but not too small either. It contained a single bed, a bedside cabinet, a wardrobe and a set of drawers, all oak and very clean. The room was predominantly white, with a floral duvet and pillow and floral curtains to match.

Eleanor jumped about on the bed as Connie unpacked for her, relaying where everything was kept. She was very surprised at how little clothing the girl had; 3 tops, 2 pairs of trousers, 3 pairs of socks and 4 pairs of underwear, most of the socks with holes in. Connie hung her tops up in the wardrobe, and gave a draw each for her other items of clothing before laying out her toothbrush, sponge and towel on top of the drawers. Once the girl tired of jumping about, the woman laid her blanket on top of the duvet, pyjamas on her pillow and hung her bag on the back of the door.

"Right, I think you're all unpacked. Are you tired yet or do you want to stay up a little longer?" Connie asked as Eleanor stood on her tip-toes to look out of the window.

"I usually go to bed at 8 o'clock." She said, her warm breath clouding the cool window, and she wiped the condensation away before turning back to Connie who glanced at her watch.

"Well it's only half past 7, so why don't you come watch television for a little bit? I have some work to do but I'll sit in the living room rather than my study if you like."

"Ok." Eleanor beamed, and bounded down the stairs before skidding into the living room. Connie closed her door and she too made her way downstairs, amazed at how the little girl hadn't thrown up yet with all the jumping about she was doing.

When the woman reached her living room, Eleanor was sat on the very edge of the arm chair like she had before tea, as still as a statue.

"Make yourself at home." She turned the TV on and picked up her laptop before collapsing onto the sofa. She gave the remote to the little girl and told her to put what she liked on. However, 10 minutes passed by as Connie typed away, and the channel was still on Sky Store. She looked up to see Eleanor frowning at the remote.

"Aren't you going to change the channel?" Connie asked, but the girl just huffed.

"How do you do that?" She asked, jabbing random buttons. Connie gently leaned over and took it from her, before turning it onto the movie channels. She found Sky Disney and selected that, as The Lion King filed her large television screen.

"Did you not have a TV at home?"

Eleanor shook her head, fiddling with her fingers as she looked at the screen.

"We did at nursery but that wasn't like this, and Miss Joan always used the remote. We didn't, ever."

"Oh. Ok, well, you use the buttons at the side to go up or down a channel…" Connie explained how to get different channels, but Eleanor was happy watching The Lion King.

"By the way, you can sit back you know. Make yourself comfortable." Connie smiled, but the little girl seemed unsure.

"I don't want to dirty your clean chair with my clothes." She mumbled, but the clinical lead just shook her head.

"Don't be silly. You live here now, at least for a while anyway. Sit however you like." Eleanor nodded and sat back, curling up in a ball with her head resting against the back of the chair. Connie got back to work, and when she looked up again it was 8:30 and The Lion King had just finished. Eleanor was fast asleep in her chair, face relaxed and content and she was snoring softly.

Connie got to her feet and picked the little girl up as gently as she could, then took her up to the spare room. Without bothering to change her into her pyjamas, she pulled the duvet back and laid her down, before tucking her in and brushing the curls from her face.

"Sweet dreams." She whispered before half shutting the door and padding back downstairs.

…

Connie went up to bed at half past 10, body aching and eyes tired. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, and didn't stir once until she felt something hit her on the head.

She jumped and sat up, flicking her bedside lamp on and rubbing her bleary eyes. The clock told her it was 3:17am, and she internally groaned before turning to see Eleanor's face illuminated by the lamp light. Her cheeks were tear stained and her eyes were red and bloodshot, and she clutched Jac the lion in her hands.

"Eleanor? What's the matter?" Connie mumbled, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear and pulling up her silk nightie.

"I had a nightmare." She whispered, voice jumpy as she sobbed. "I dreamt that I was at home, and it all went dark and cold, and there were footsteps and I shouted for help but nobody came…"

"It's alright sweetheart, it was just a silly dream. You're here, and I'm here, and you're safe, ok? I won't let anyone hurt you." She whispered, and Eleanor nodded though tears still streamed down her rosy cheeks.

"It's too early to get up now so why don't you go back to bed? I'm right here if you need me." The woman smiled but the little girl went silent.

"At home, if I had a nightmare, mummy would let me sleep in her bed with her."

Connie, mind still full of sleep, blinked a few times.

"The thing is, I'm not your mummy Eleanor. I could get told off if someone found out you slept with me in my bed." She said awkwardly, and the girl's face crumpled as she looked at her with wide, brown eyes.

"Please." She whispered, her voice cracking and nose streaming as she sniffed loudly. Connie hesitated. Surely it could do no harm? And neither of them were going to get any sleep at this rate if she didn't do something. So she nodded and pointed towards some tissues on her dressing table.

"Wipe your eyes and nose then get in." She mumbled, collapsing back onto her pillow and pulling the duvet back. Eleanor climbed in and pulled the blanket up to her neck, long blonde curls spread across the pillow.

"Na-night Connie." She whispered, clutching Jac to her chest.

"Night Eleanor." The woman murmured before slipping away into her dreams. The little girl just laid there however, unable to fall back asleep straightaway. The gentle rise and fall of the cover from Connie's breathing began to calm her a little, and she felt her eyelid's growing heavy.

"Night mummy. I miss you." The little girl whispered to the darkness before settling down and falling back asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**Update number 10! I hope you all enjoy and reviews would be welcomed :D I also think some of you may be grasping onto my plan for Eleanor's mother- the multi-coloured dots on the drawing were indeed drugs ;) *Obama voice* However, no more will be said at this time. XD -Sophie x**

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_"__This hit that ice cold, Michelle Pfeiffer that white gold…" _

Connie opened her eyes to her phone ringing loudly on the table beside her bed. She was about to lean over and retrieve it when a small pair of arms squeezed her left one tight. Eleanor was hugging her arm in her sleep, head resting on her shoulder and golden locks tickling the woman's bare skin. Connie smiled before gently reaching over with her other arm and picking up the phone.

"Connie Beauchamp?" She said, stifling a yawn as she spoke, voice quiet as to not wake the sleeping girl beside her.

"Connie it's Charlie." His voice was loud in her ear and she winced, rubbing her eyes and pushing her hair from her face, phone stuffed between her shoulder and cheek.

"Charlie, what can I do for you." She mumbled, resisting the urge to shut her eyes again as she picked the device back up.

"Tess was telling me about Eleanor yesterday, and I think it's only right you should take some time off to look after her."

"What? No, child or not I'm coming in, you know that from Grace." Connie was now wide awake. On the other end of the phone, her colleague took a deep breath.

"I know you did, and look how that turned out." He said slowly, and the clinical lead's mouth dropped.

"How dare you?" She hissed down the phone, only to be interrupted.

"All I'm saying is that your office and the department as a whole is no place for a child to spend their days, ok? Stay home, take a week's leave and get some childcare sorted out. Until you return, Zoe will take over your duties. I'll see you when I see you."

"Charlie I will not take orders-" Connie began but she was met with a long beeping noise; he had cut her off. Letting out a frustrated groan, the woman locked her phone and shoved it back on the bedside table.

"Bloody nerve." She muttered to herself, "I make the decisions for my department, not a _nurse_ for god's sakes."

"What?"

It was then that Connie realised Eleanor was now awake and watching her curiously, Jac the lion tucked under her chin.

"Nothing, Eleanor. Work things." She mumbled. A quick look at the clock told her it was 7:03am, and probably a good time to get up.

"Right, you go through to your room and get yourself dressed, then we'll have breakfast and go from there, ok?"

"Ok." The girl smiled and shuffled out of bed before padding along the landing. Connie shut her door and proceeded to get dressed, opting for a shower later on rather than then as she usually would. She was just sat at her dressing table, running the straighteners through her hair when there was a knock at her door.

"Come in." She called, and the girl entered. Eleanor had chosen a pink top with a sequin butterfly and matching jeans. They were evidently well worn as many sequins had fallen off the top, and the jeans had holes in both knees and were unravelling on the bottom of both legs. Connie didn't say anything however, and simply smiled.

"Give me 2 seconds and I'll be finished." She said, and Eleanor nodded before sitting down on the edge of the bed. Connie's bedroom was very scarce, like the rest of her house really. Apart from the dresser and double bed rather than a single, it was exactly the same as the room the little girl was staying in.

"Right, I'm all done here. Let's go downstairs and find something for breakfast." Connie unplugged the straighteners and stood, slipping her feet into her fluffy slippers and picking up her phone before leaving the room.

Eleanor followed her as she went downstairs and turned off the alarm, before going into the kitchen.

"First order of events- coffee." Connie muttered, filling the kettle up and flicking it on. "Second- your breakfast. What would you like?" She asked, lifting the girl up onto a breakfast bar stool.

"Do you have any porridge?" She asked, and Connie thought before nodding.

"Golden syrup?" Eleanor raised her eyebrows hopefully, and grinned when the woman nodded again.

"Porridge and golden syrup it is." She smiled, and set about getting that sorted. Eleanor meanwhile pulled her bag that she'd brought down with her onto the table, and pulled out the piece of paper she had been drawing on yesterday tea-time. She concentrated on that until the microwave pinged and a steaming bowl of porridge was brought out.

"I'll trust you with the syrup, just don't put loads on or your teeth will rot." Connie passed her the squeezy, clear bottle and ran the hot water to fill the bowl. Once she'd filled it with soapy bubbles, the woman sat down cupping her drink.

"You've mentioned that you're the best writer in your class at school, which means you must be in reception. Is that correct?" Connie asked, and Eleanor's curls bobbed up and down.

"If you went to school each day that your mother wasn't home, then why didn't you tell someone there?"

The girl stirred in her golden syrup as she thought of an answer.

"I thought she'd come home, so I didn't say anything in case she did and I got told off for lying."

"That's fairly plausible I suppose…" Connie murmured to herself, looking into the swirling brown liquid in her mug.

"Should you be at school now?" She asked, but Eleanor shook her head firmly.

"It was the start of our 2 week Easter break yesterday."

"Oh yeah, I forgot it was Easter." Connie sounded quite surprised before looking down again.

"It's just I only have a week of paid leave left at the minute, so I'll need to sort you out some child care for next week until you go back to school. Did you ever have a child-minder at home?" Even though she asked, the woman was pretty sure she knew the answer before the little girl even looked up. Eleanor shook her head again, scraping the bottom of the bowl with her spoon.

"Mummy didn't work so she was always there to look after me in the holidays." She placed the last spoonful of syrupy oats into her mouth before putting the spoon into the bowl and pushing it away.

"Alright. Well, I'm going to phone the nanny that looked after Grace when she lived here in a bit and see if she'll have you. She's called Iveta and she's really very lovely." Connie smiled, standing and taking her bowl and spoon to be washed up.

"Will she look after me here?" Eleanor asked.

"Yes, unless you two decide to go out anywhere."

The little girl grinned before jumping down from the stool, dragging her bag behind her.

"That sounds fun- I can't wait!" She beamed before going through to the living room. From where she was stood washing up, Connie sighed sadly, pausing as she scrubbed at a plate.

"If only my Gracie was that enthusiastic."


	11. Chapter 11

**IT'S FRIDAAAAAAAAAAY!**

***clears throat* Anyway, moving on- this chapter shows part of Eleanor's rebellious side (I was right Tanith Panic- it was this chapter xD) as well as some fluff at the end :') I hope you enjoy this little mix and as always, reviews would be lovely! In the next update, Connie realises what she's done and she manages to find out a little more about Eleanor's mother too... :O -Sophie x**

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It got to half past 11 and Eleanor was beginning to get hungry. Connie was too surprisingly; she'd usually have been at work where she barely got the time to eat, never mind actually being hungry.

"Connie, when are we having dinner?" The little girl looked up from where she sat at the coffee table, knelt on the floor as she continued her drawing. Connie looked over the top of her laptop before glancing down at the time.

"Not yet, you only had breakfast a few hours ago. I'll go see what there is, maybe then I could make a start on it." She stood, putting her laptop on the arm of the sofa and going into the kitchen. Eleanor stayed in the living room, and she looked over to where the glowing screen sat, staring down at her. In the end, curiosity took over and she went to have a nosey.

The screen was a list of google search results, and the girl's eyes widened. Unsure of what to do, she tentatively placed a small finger on the mouse mat and moved it like she'd seen Connie do. The cursor on the screen moved, and the little girl grinned. She moved the cursor to the scroll bar at the side of the screen and pressed one of the mouse's buttons, and jumping as a white list came up next to the little arrow.

"We might have to go shopping before dinner Eleanor." Connie called, the sounds of opening and closing cupboards making its way through to the living room. The girl quickly pressed the other button so the list went away, and she smiled in relief.

"Okay." The girl replied loudly, moving her finger along the sensor pad and left clicking so the scroll bar moved up. The search bar was revealed, and the little girl's brow creased as she read what the woman had typed in; "Eleanor Lillian Chambers, Holby."

She quickly scrolled the scroll bar back down again as shuffled sounds of Connie's footsteps became louder. She'd just picked up her brown pencil when the clinical lead popped her head through the door.

"There's nothing in to make anything with, so we'll pop to Waitrose and get something whilst we're out, okay?" Eleanor nodded and began to put her pencils back in her pencil case as Connie went to shut down her computer. The girl held her breath as the woman looked down at the screen, but nothing appeared out of order and she simply shut it down as she usually would.

…

They pulled up outside the supermarket and locked the car before walking hand in hand into the building. Eleanor clutched the trolley as they made their way down the fruit and veg isle, Connie picking up various items as she went. The girl looked up in wonder as the items passed over her head.

"What's that?" She asked as an oddly shaped red thing was placed in the trolley.

"That's a red pepper." Connie explained, and pointed at the shelves. "There are also green, yellow and orange peppers too."

"Wow." She mumbled, watching as Connie put two butternut squash's into the basket and moved it along. She slipped her hand through the metal bars and prodded them curiously.

"They're weird. They look like those egg-timer thingies." She declared, and a nearby elderly woman chuckled to herself.

"It's a butternut squash lovie." She told the little girl, and her eyes widened in wonder.

"Oh. I thought the middle looked a bit squashed. Like someone ran over it with a shopping trolley." Connie internally laughed at the girl's comments as she placed a gentle hand on Eleanor's back.

"Come along, we still need to get dinner remember." She urged, and smiled at the elderly woman.

"Thank you for telling me its name." Eleanor beamed, before going to hold the front of the trolley.

"Your daughter's a card and a half isn't she? Bless her." The woman's glasses glinted under the supermarket's lighting as she looked over to her.

"Isn't she just. Anyway, I must get on. It was lovely chatting with you." Connie pushed the trolley on as the white haired woman said her goodbyes.

"Did she call me your daughter?" Eleanor asked curiously as they turned the corner into the bread isle. The clinical lead continued to look straight ahead as she spoke, before placing a white and a brown loaf in the bottom of the trolley.

"Yes. It was none of her business as to why we were together, so I just agreed."

"Oh. I think I'd like to have been your little girl." She announced, and Connie paused momentarily until she spoke again.

"Though I like my mummy more." She added, and her guardian smiled slightly before moving on, her heart now a little warmer.


	12. Chapter 12

**Update! This chapter reveals a little more about Eleanor's home life, and the next chapter will enlighten you on Grace's thoughts about the little girl... ;)**

**I hope you enjoy and reviews would be lovely if you get the chance! Sorry it's being uploaded so late- my laptop died earlier and it's only just charged up :( -Sophie x**

* * *

After all the shopping had been loaded into the car, they went back inside and settled themselves down in the adjoining café. Connie ordered a salmon and cheddar cheese Panini, and Eleanor opted for a jacket potato with cheese and beans. They sipped at their drinks as Connie watched the girl sat opposite her. There were so many questions she wanted to ask her, but she restrained herself in case she upset her.

The woman's thoughts turned to the girl's mother. Who was she? Where was she now? Why would she leave this lovely little girl alone? What had she done to deserve that? Connie had no idea.

"Why are you so quiet?" Eleanor asked, and Connie realised she'd been sat in silence since she ordered their food over 15 minutes ago.

"Are you okay?" The little girl persisted, and the woman nodded quickly before moving upright in her seat.

"I'm fine, just thinking is all." She smiled, lips tight as Eleanor frowned.

"What were you thinking about?"

Connie paused. Should she tell her the truth?

"If you must know, I was thinking about your mother." She admitted. The blonde haired girl went quiet, looking down at the table, hitting her knife and fork together.

"Why?" She asked.

"I was wondering why she'd leave you like that. Who she is, where she is now." Connie gestured with her hands before sighing.

"Is that why you had my name on your laptop earlier?" Eleanor asked before realising what she'd said and clapped a hand to her mouth. Connie looked at her, eyes stern and mouth open.

"Did you look at my laptop?" She asked, voice becoming hard and serious in the blink of an eye. She flinched slightly and looked down, silent.

"Eleanor." She warned her, and the little girl bit her lip before nodding ever so slightly, trying to make herself as small as she could. Her guardian pursed her lips and crossed her arms.

"That was very naughty of you. You shouldn't have looked without my permission, there could have been private information on there." She scolded her as one of the waitress' approached with their meals. She set them down and left quickly, sensing the tension between the two females.

Connie nibbled at hers in silence, picking the bits of salmon out first then tearing the bread apart into tiny little pieces. Eleanor hadn't touched hers, and still looked down at her feet that swung under the table. After 10 minutes of total silence, Eleanor spoke.

"She was called Stella Chambers. She went to the airport and didn't come back. She had blonde hair like me and she wasn't very old."

The girl's voice was quiet and still aimed at her feet. Connie looked up, and wiped her mouth on a napkin.

"That's not what I was hoping for." She pressed gently, and the girl looked up, eyes brimming with tears.

"I'm sorry. I promise I won't do it again."

She was sincere, and Connie managed a small smile.

"That's better. You're forgiven. Now, eat up your jacket potato, it'll go cold otherwise."

Eleanor looked up and picked up her knife and fork.

"Does that mean you're not going to punish me?" She asked, and Connie frowned.

"Why should I punish you? You shouldn't have done what you did, but being nosey isn't exactly the crime of the century."

"Mummy always used to punish me if I did something wrong." She said quietly, struggling to cut up her potato. Connie moved her own plate to one side for the minute and picked Eleanor's up, before setting it down in front of her to cut the food into small pieces.

"What things did she punish you for?" Connie asked, keeping her eyes on the plate as she spoke.

"Anything I shouldn't do. Throwing food in the bin if I didn't want it, staying up past my bedtime, annoying her, being too loud, being too "needy"…" She trailed off, little brow creased. "I don't even know what that means."

"It means wanting too much." Connie answered her indirect question before placing the plate back in front of her. "How would she punish you?"

"She'd lock me in my room, not let me out to play, smack me on the arms or legs or both, take my pens and paper away, and sometimes she'd send me to bed with no tea… She said that it saved her money so it was good that I was bad. I never really understood why she said that though."

Connie was very surprised as she finished off her Panini. She hadn't realised that people these days still hit their children. She thought it was illegal. As for bed with no tea, that was starving the poor girl for some petty little act. It wasn't worth it, and the woman began to feel very sympathetic towards the little girl sat in front of her, even more so than she did at first.

As long as I am the guardian of this child, she decided, sipping at her lemonade and watching as the juice from Eleanor's beans splattered down her front, I vow to care for her, and to make sure she's safe, healthy and well. She deserves it now more than ever for what she's been through. Connie suppressed a small laugh as she felt like muttering "Amen" at the end of her noiseless speech, and sat back as she waited for the young girl to finish her food.


	13. Chapter 13

**You know, I never intended for this fic to go on so long, but I have a feeling it'll be a while before it finishes xD I don't plan my works- there's no other way to explain it other than I simply let the characters write themselves and see what happens... xD**

**Anyway, this is the chapter where we get Grace's view on the whole Eleanor situation, which knowing Grace and her attitude problem, is a recipe for disaster! However there's a little added extra in there too, alongside Grace :D **

**I hope you all enjoy and reviews would be lovely! -Sophie x**

**(P.S- This sounds ridiculous but I think I have Repetitive Strain Injury in one of my wrists, so I don't know how much writing I'm going to be able to do for a bit :'( )**

* * *

Once the two got home and all the shopping was unpacked, Connie phoned Iveta about minding Eleanor. The Lithuanian woman seemed delighted and agreed to start the following Monday. The clinical lead put the landline phone back on the receiver in the hallway and came to sit back down in the living room. The girl looked up as she came in and smiled, before standing up from her place at the coffee table, picking up her drawing and holding it out to Connie.

"I did this for you." She smiled, and the woman was pleasantly surprised as she took it.

"Thank you very much Eleanor, this is lovely! Is it us?" She asked, looking down at the crinkled paper. It showed a tall figure with long brown hair, wearing a white top and a black skirt. There was a smaller figure beside her with a raincoat on and jeans. Eleanor nodded her head eagerly.

"It's us yesterday. It's the one I started before tea time. Do you like it?"

"Of course I do! Shall I put it up on the fridge?" She smiled, picking up the drawing and going into the kitchen. The little girl nodded and followed her to choose a magnet, then she let Connie pin it up near the top of the door.

"There. Pride place." Eleanor smiled widely, and went back into the living room. She sat on the armchair and looked around, her eyes falling upon Connie's bookshelf.

"Do you have any books I could read?" She asked as the woman came back from the kitchen. She glanced over to the shelves, titles such as "The Complete History of Cardiothoracic Surgery" and "Emergency Medicine- The Ultimate Guide" sprang out at her, and she grimaced.

"Not down here I don't, no." She replied, before a thought suddenly came to the forefront of her mind.

"But there might be some in Grace's room?"

Eleanor looked up, eyes bright. "Can we go look?"

Connie nodded and she bounded off up the stairs, the woman close behind. They entered the predominantly pink room and Connie's heart tugged. She hadn't been in since her daughter left for America, and as she looked round, she soon remembered why.

"Her books are… in that cupboard, there." She gestured to a small cupboard on her bedside table before sitting on the small, single bed. It still had her favourite sheets on- purple with pink hearts embroidered onto it. She bit her lip as she ran a hand across the smooth fabric. The room even smelt like her- sickly sweet perfume that she always wore because it "made her feel grown up". Grace's hairbrush sat on her elegant white dresser, almost identical to Connie's, and strands of her hair still laid tangled within the teeth of it.

"Can I take these ones into my room?" Eleanor piped up, holding three books in her little hands.

"Which are they?" Connie asked, her voice slightly choked. The girl looked down and went through them in turn.

"Horrid Henry and the S-sec-secret club." She stumbled, "Silver Do-dolp-dolph-dolphin and My Little Princ-princess." She grinned proudly. Connie nodded and she ran into her room with the books. The woman stood, smoothing away the indentation marks from where she was perched, and looked around again before turning and shutting the door with a soft click. Silent with thought, she descended the stairs and went into her study, deciding work would help take her mind from things.

…

2 hours later and Connie had finished last night's report, written one for the board about their new F2's and drawn up the rota for the following week, which she e-mailed to Charlie with a very icy message- she was still irritated with him from their phone call that morning.

Just as she was about to shut the screen down for the day, it turned bright blue with a white splodge in the middle, and bouncy music began to spill from both speakers. Her face lit up as she realised it was Grace, trying to skype her. She clicked the answer button and sat back, as her baby's smiling face filled the screen.

"Darling!" Connie exclaimed, "It's so nice to see you! I've missed you so much."

"Sorry I haven't called, I've been really really busy. Anyway, it's my first day of the Easter break so dad said I should call you."

"Did you not think to call me on your own?" She frowned slightly and Grace rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, but I didn't know when. I thought you'd be at work but he said to try anyway. Why aren't you at work?"

Connie opened her mouth to answer, but Eleanor beat her to it. She slipped through the door and stood on her tiptoes to look over Connie's shoulder. She waved, accidentally hitting the woman in the face, and smiled sweetly.

"Hello Grace!"

On her computer screen, the girl frowned and looked to her mother who was taking a deep breath.

"Who's she?"

Connie smiled slightly. "This is Eleanor. She's staying with me until we find out where her parents are. It's a long story darling."

"Well I hope she's not staying in my room." She said rudely, crinkling her nose.

"She's not, don't worry. She's in the spare room- yours is just how you left it for when you come home to visit." The clinical lead quickly reassured her, but the girl wasn't convinced. Her face turned angry when a thought entered her mind.

"Are you trying to replace me?" She asked, voice emotionless and so like her mother's. Connie's mouth dropped.

"What? No, no of course I'm not- don't be ridiculous. No, as I said she's just staying until we find her family, that's all."

Connie turned to look down at the girl whose face had crumpled, and she held a book limply in her hands.

"What was it you wanted Eleanor?" She asked quickly, glancing up to the screen where Grace had folded her arms.

"I just wanted to know what this word says." She opened the book and gently stabbed at a word, but her movements were half hearted.

"It says "precious". Now you go and carry on reading, I'll come find you when I'm finished here ok?"

The girl looked down and nodded ever so slightly, before shuffling out of the room. Connie turned and smiled her daughters face, clasping her hands on her lap.

"So darling, what have you been up to? How was your first term at your new school?"

"Fine." She muttered, looking away from the camera. "And it's called a "semester" here. Not "term"."

"My mistake. Are your teachers nice? Are you enjoying your classes?" She pressed, getting the feeling that she was now very much in the doghouse.

"They're ok." She said vaguely, before the sound of a door opened and a male voice murmured off screen. Grace nodded and sighed.

"Dad wants to speak to you." She stood up, and without saying goodbye- disappeared from view. Instead Sam came and sat down on Grace's computer chair, smiling a little.

"Hello Connie. Long time no see huh."

"Mmm." She murmured quietly, crossing her arms and sitting back. "So what do you want to speak to me about?"

"Mother mentioned a complaint when she dropped Grace off for the first time, something about someone's dad? I was just wondering how it went on."

Connie raised her eyebrow and crossed her legs. "Isn't that being a little nosey?"

"I didn't mean it like that and you know it. I may have re-married Connie, but remember- you are still the mother of my child."

"How can I forget." She muttered under her breath, before speaking up again. "The woman dropped it when she realised she'd have to go to court. It got too much for her, I suspect."

"Oh. That's good then I suppose."

"Yes, it is." Connie replied mildly, gazing around the room. Sam shifted in his seat and cleared his throat.

"Well, it was lovely seeing you again. Keep in touch, yeah?"

"I suppose." She sighed. "Bye, Sam."

"See you Connie."


	14. Chapter 14

**Hallo! Hope you're all still enjoying this- I'm coming to quite like it actually :D**

**I'd tell you what the next chapter will be about, but I haven't actually gotten round to writing it yet xD So I hope you like this one, and reviews would be welcomed! -Sophie x**

**(P.S- I tried to write this whilst my 2 year old brother was jumping all over me, so if there are any spelling mistakes or it doesn't seem to flow properly then that's probably why XD)**

* * *

Connie switched off the monitor and stood, stretching her arms out before padding into the hallway, movement's soft with the lack of heels.

"Eleanor? Where are you?" She called, voice ringing throughout the house. It stayed silent, and Connie frowned.

"Eleanor?" She went into the living room to find it empty, the kitchen too. She jogged up the stairs, fleeting thoughts of the little girl running away entering her mind. She seemed very down before she left Connie's study, what if she'd tried to leave? What if something had happened to her?

She moved a little faster and went straight to the door to her room once she reached the landing, and knocked gently.

"Can I come in?" Connie asked quietly, looking down at the handle as she waited for a reply.

"Yes." Came a small voice, and she smiled with relief to herself before opening the door. It was immediately wiped from her face however when her eyes fell upon the little girl. She was hunched up on her bed, as far into the corner of the room as she could get, and she had her head on her knees. Small, muffled sobs drifted towards the clinical lead, and she frowned before gently sitting on the bed.

"What's the matter?" She asked gently, watching as her head rose to reveal a red, upset face.

"Nothing." She mumbled, bottom lip quivering.

"Evidently there is." Connie tilted her head to one side slightly. "Why are you crying?"

She sniffed and wiped her nose on her sleeve. The woman winced slightly and handed her a tissue from her pocket, which the girl received without a thank you.

"Grace doesn't like me does she." Eleanor said, voice disappointed, pulling her legs even closer to her chest. Connie sighed, before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Grace doesn't like a lot of people." She explained, putting her hand on the duvet to lean on. "Me included at the minute. It's nothing personal, she was probably just shocked to see you here."

"Why doesn't she like you?" The girl asked, sitting up slightly and looking at the clinical lead with intent, yet blood shot eyes.

"She thinks I'm trying to replace her." She came straight out with is as she couldn't think up any other reason at that moment.

"With me?"

The woman bit her lip.

"Yes. But it's not your fault, I should have let her know." She reassured the girl quickly as her face crumpled.

"If I wasn't here she would be happy with you. It _is_ my fault."

"No, it isn't. Really. It's my silly fault, ok? I'm to blame, not you."

More tears began to fall down the girl's cheeks, and Connie bit her lip again.

"Sweetheart you've got to believe me on this one." She whispered, moving slightly further onto the bed, before stopping abruptly when she realised Eleanor had flinched.

"Don't let it get to you, okay? You're a very likeable little girl, and I happen to like you quite a lot. It's just Grace, I promise." She smiled optimistically, but Eleanor just looked down. Connie cleared her throat and stood up, smoothing her top down.

"Well I'm going to go downstairs and do some ironing. Come down whenever you feel up to it, alright?"

The girl nodded and Connie turned and left her room, shutting the door with a soft click before going back downstairs.


	15. Chapter 15

**The idea for this chapter came out of no where, so apologies if it isn't as brilliant xD Reviews would be lovely (if you can) and I hope you all enjoy! -Sophie x**

* * *

Connie had just picked up Eleanor's top from the previous day, now clean and fresh smelling and ready to be ironed when a small figure appeared at the door. The woman laid the top out flat before running the hot metal plate over it, wafting away the steam. She turned it over and did the other side, then the same with both sleeves.

"What are you doing?" Eleanor asked curiously, sliding a little further into the kitchen. Connie looked up and saw that her eyes and nose were still red, though that childish twinkle in her eyes that had disappeared for a while, was now back in its rightful place.

"I'm ironing."

"Oh."

The girl stood and watched before coming closer. "Why are you irining?"

"Ironing." Connie corrected her, before picking up the top and putting it on a coat hanger. "It makes clothes look neat and new. Did your mother not iron your clothes?"

Eleanor looked down at her tummy and pulled the fabric of her t-shirt away from her skin. "No. They go out of the washing machine and onto the drying rack, then mummy put them in my drawers."

If she was being totally honest with herself, the clinical lead wasn't very surprised. The poor girl must have gone to school with creased clothing. That last thought made her think, and her brow creased in confusion.

"Eleanor, did you bring your school uniform with you?" She asked, flicking the plug so the iron turned off and hanging the top on the back of the door.

"Yes."

"Are you sure? I don't remember seeing it when I unpacked yesterday…" She trailed off, and the little girl had a realisation before sighing.

"It's in the wash at home. I tried to make the machine work like mummy did but I couldn't. I think it's still there."

Oh great, Connie thought to herself as she smiled slightly, that means another trip to crime city. Perfect.

"Well we'll go pick it up next week, ok? You don't need it for a while so there's no point going now."

Eleanor nodded and looked down at the floor, kicking her socked feet back and forth. Connie reached over her head and took the clothes hanging on the door.

"I'll just take these upstairs then I'll make us some tea. Don't touch the iron, it's very hot." She looked down at the girl sternly who nodded, though her eyes flitted from the funny looking device as she did so.

As Connie padded upstairs, the girl walked up to the ironing board and looked at it curiously. Why was one end square and one end curvy? What was the metal thing for? And why was the iron itself steaming? Eleanor bit her lip and moved round to the front so she could see her reflection in the metal plate. She grinned, and watched her reflection copy her. She then proceeded to pull loads of funny faces, and she giggled to herself in amusement. Totally taken by surprise however, she suddenly took a deep breath and sneezed, making her little frame jolt at the movement.

When she opened her eyes, Eleanor noticed there was a lovely slimy coating on the iron, and immediately she began to panic. What if she got told off? What if Connie lost control and hit her, like her mother had done so many times? What if she threw her out and chucked her in a children's home?

The acts that landed her in the most trouble back home were the pettiest ones, such as what had just happened there. She looked around, but couldn't see anything to wipe it with. Forgetting the clinical lead's warning, the girl reached her hand out and her skin collided with the burning hot metal plate. She managed to smudge the green blobs before her nerves registered the searing heat, and her eyes pricked as she screamed loudly, jerking her hand away from the appliance.

Immediately there was a crash from upstairs and the rapid sounds of thundering feet as Connie dashed downstairs. She darted into the kitchen and her eyes widened as she spotted the bright red mark on Eleanor's hand. She blinked before she was thrown into hospital mode.

"Come on sweetheart." She said quickly, holding out her arms to pick the little girl up. Eleanor held hers up shakily and the woman lifted her onto the draining board as she ran the cold tap.

"Hold your hand under the water, it'll cool it down."

The girl couldn't say anything for sobbing so hard, and instead watched as the cold water began to soothe her skin.

"It hurts." She whimpered, and Connie made to put her arm on her leg until she jerked it away. She stopped and lowered it down until it rested on the edge of the work top.

"That's why I said not to touch it." She said gently, also watching the clear liquid as it splashed onto her small hand.

"I'm sorry. I won't do it again, I promise."

Connie looked into Eleanor's eyes, and saw nothing but fear. Her chocolatey brown orbs were wide and alarmed, and her whole body trembled with the tension that had slowly begun to build. Looking away, the woman reached out and turned the girl's hand slightly so she could look at it.

"That will blister soon, then we'll pop it, add some cream and put some cling film on so it doesn't get infected. Alright?"

The child nodded, and Connie bit her lip before she spoke.

"Eleanor, I'm going to tell you this now and I don't ever want you to forget it, ok?" She searched her face for any signs of compliance. She nodded very slightly, and Connie went on.

"I won't hurt you. I would never hurt you, I wouldn't even think about it. If I ever reach out for you, it's to comfort you, as it always will be. I just want to help." Her words were soft, and only just audible above the trickling water. The girl still looked unsure.

"That's what mummy used to say, after..."

"I'm not your mummy sweetheart." The woman said simply, waiting for any kind of reaction from the girl. Eleanor just looked up at her and sniffed, though her eyes began to twinkle again.

"Ok. As long as you promise." She said quietly, and Connie smiled, placing her hand on her knee and rubbing it with her thumb. She felt the girl tense slightly, before slowly relaxing under her touch.

"I promise."


	16. Chapter 16

**Happy Friday everyone! So glad this week's over, its been absolutely horrible :( Here's the next chapter- just something I imagined happening, and the beginning is slightly fluffy :D**

**Reviews would be great if possible and I hope you all enjoy! -Sophie x**

* * *

After a take-away tea of pizza to cheer Eleanor up, Connie showed her how the shower worked and let her get herself clean. Then, clad in panda pyjamas and clutching one of Grace's books, she sat next to Connie on the sofa.

"Will you read to me?" She asked, small fingers gently brushing the cling film that was wrapped around her hand. The woman smiled and nodded, before turning the television down and picking up the book.

"Silver Dolphin." She read the title, then opened it to the first chapter. As the woman read, Eleanor felt her eyes growing heavy, and her mind turning drowsy. By the end of the third chapter, the girl had her blonde locks, still damp from her shower, resting on Connie's arm as she snuggled closer to her, trying desperately to stay awake.

As ashamed as she was to admit it, Connie was getting very into that book, and spoke each character in a different funny voice.

"Then Bubbles spurted water all over Kai, and Kai laughed before splashing Bubbles in the face. "You're silly." He grinned, before swimming off. "Catch me if you can!"" The woman smiled to herself before glancing down to Eleanor, whose eyes kept falling shut before jolting open again.

"I think it's someone's bedtime, don't you think?" She asked, imitating the voice she used for one of the human characters, Kai.

"Yes, I do think its Eleanor's bedtime Kai." Connie did the voice for Bubbles the dolphin, and the girl next to her laughed tiredly.

"Please carry on Connie. I want to know if they rescue the sea horse or not!" She pleaded, but the woman shook her head firmly, placing a letter in the book to mark her page.

"Tomorrow night. Come on, let's go brush your teeth, they'll smell of garlic bread for days otherwise."

…

Once the girl was settled and fast asleep, Connie tucked the covers around her and went downstairs, just in time to hear her phone start to ring. She glanced at the screen and pressed the answer button.

"Charlie." She said tiredly, "What can I do for you?"

The woman was still slightly irritated with the nurse for their phone call that morning, but decided to push that out of the way.

"I was just phoning to see if you'd sorted any child care out for Eleanor." His voice filled her ear as she collapsed onto the sofa, crossing her legs as she did so.

"Yes, Grace's old nanny will take her."

"That's good. So you'll be back next Monday?"

"I will. Why, is the department in ruins already?"

"Did Connie Beauchamp just make a joke?" Charlie asked, clearly amused. "You should look after waifs and strays more often. And no, don't fear- your precious department is running like clockwork."

"Good." She muttered, before raising her voice slightly. "And Eleanor is neither a waif nor stray thank you very much."

"Sorry, sorry. How is she anyway?"

"Alright, considering we have no idea where her only relative is." Connie admitted, pulling at a loose thread on her top, and frowning when it made the hem crease up. "I'm waiting on a call from child services but there's been nothing so far."

"Well, they're a busy department I suppose." The nurse sighed on the other side of the phone. "Has she settled in okay?"

"I guess so. The thing is Charlie, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't repeat this..." She trailed off as she waited for him to reply.

"Go on…"

"The thing is, I think she was abused at home. She keeps telling me that whenever she did something bad, her mother would punish her by hitting or even starving her."

"What? That's terrible. Do the services know?"

"No, I'll phone them tomorrow. What I've noticed though, is she was perfectly fine around you lot in the ED yesterday, she seemed fairly cheery. But today she burnt her hand on the iron and when I tried to comfort her, she flinched away. Why?"

"There could be a few reasons." Charlie let out a long breath, and the woman envisioned him running a hand through his hair. "There's the fact she hasn't known you for that long. Or that you're the authority figure. Or, flipping the scales here a bit, she might even have started to think of you as a mother figure, therefore thinking all mothers act the same- abusive."

"I hadn't actually thought of that last point." Connie raised her eyebrows and sat back, resting the arm holding her phone on the side of the sofa. "She's barely known me two minutes, how could I be a mother figure already?"

"Well you took her in for a start. Then you made sure she was safe, happy, fed, watered etc. Not to mention the fact you're a mother yourself, and she knows that. Have you acted motherly towards her in any way? Maybe like you'd have acted towards Grace?"

The clinical lead thought for a moment before speaking.

"I've called her "sweetheart" a couple of times…" She mused, "And she drew me a picture of us two yesterday which I put on the fridge… That's about it really."

"There you go then. Just be careful Connie, don't get too attached just in case child services find her mother. It's not so long since Grace left."

"Thank you Charlie, I don't need reminding." She said sharply, and she could hear his intake of breath. "She is _my_ daughter."

"How could I forget." He murmured before clearing his throat. "Anyway, I'll call back on Sunday just to check all's well, then I'll see you bright and early Monday morning. Ok?"

"Alright. See you."

"Bye Connie."


	17. Chapter 17

**This turned out longer than I expected xD So I (finally) have a vague idea for the end of this story concerning Eleanor's mother (:O), as well as a few things in-between ;) (hint- the "few things in-between" concern the Consultant's ball, a school parents evening and an accident...)**

**I hope you all enjoy and reviews would be great! -Sophie x **

* * *

The rest of their week consisted of pretty much the same routine; get up, get breakfast, Connie worked whilst Eleanor read/drew/watched TV, Connie made lunch, they went out to the park or for a walk, came home and made tea, got into their pyjamas and relaxed before bed.

That Saturday, Grace was drawing and Connie was watching the news, when a story about how the sale of Easter eggs had soared in the last few years began, and the woman quickly realised that she didn't have any Easter eggs for Eleanor. After everything the little girl had been through, a morning of hunting for chocolatey treats would be a lovely idea. So, after sending Zoe a reluctant message to see if she'd come mind her, she stood and flicked the TV onto the children's channel.

"I need to run out to the shops Eleanor, Zoe's going to come round and keep an eye on you." She pulled on her cardigan and went out into the hallway to fetch her keys.

"Why can't I come?" The girl called, putting her pencils down and shuffling to the doorway.

"I'll only be quick. Besides, it'll do you good to spend some time with someone who isn't me." She smiled, tying her hair back just as the doorbell rang. Connie unlocked the door and let it open, and Zoe came in, clutching at her handbag.

"Hi Connie, hello Eleanor!" The girl smiled but quickly turned her attention back to Connie who was slipping on her flats.

"What are you getting?" She persisted, but the woman straightened up and tapped her nose, smiling knowingly.

"You'll find out tomorrow." She winked. "See you in a bit."

With that she left the house and unlocked her car. Zoe shut the door and looked down at the girl, who looked back up at her.

"So," Zoe said, "what do you want to do?"

"I've just been drawing." She said, shrugging her shoulders. "Come on, I'll show you." She took Zoe's hand and led her into the living room, before sitting down at the small coffee table. Zoe sat awkwardly next to her and peered at her latest masterpiece.

"Are they horses?" She asked, mildly amused as she crossed her legs and leant on the table.

"It's the two horses by my house, Dobby and Ellie." She explained, pointing to each of them in turn. Zoe nodded.

"They're very well drawn. Can I join in?" The consultant asked and the girl nodded, pushing a piece of paper and her pencil case towards her.

…

Meanwhile at the supermarket, Connie was scouring the isles for any signs of Easter eggs. She realised that she should have probably bought them before now as the shelves were nearly empty when she reached the seasonal isle. There were a few battered Hello Kitty eggs, a broken Smartie egg and a small packet of chocolate bunnies left, and that was it.

"Bugger." She muttered, bending down and peering right to the back of the lower shelves.

"You know, there's a £1 shop next door with tonnes left." A voice right behind her made the woman jump and hit her head on the shelf above. She straightened up to find Rita stood behind her, pushing a trolley full of shopping.

"I know, I just wanted to make sure there weren't any left here is all." She muttered, irritated as she rubbed the top of her head. "Why are you shopping here anyway, you live on the other side of Holby don't you?"

"The store shut down near me, some kids set it on fire last week. Not that it's any of your business." The smaller woman matched Connie's frosty tone, and the clinical lead was slightly taken aback.

"Alright, there's no need for that Miss Freeman." The clinical lead cleared her throat. "I need to get off. See you Monday. Unfortunately." She muttered under her breath, and was just about to stride away when Rita called after her.

"Why are you buying Easter eggs anyway? Bit late to send them to Grace isn't it?"

Connie span round, convinced that was a dig at her. When she saw Rita's face however, she seemed genuinely confused. Face dead-pan, the brunette answered her.

"They're for Eleanor, _not_ that it's any of_ your _business." She mimicked the nurse's earlier comment and walked off, a small smile spreading slowly across her face. Still on the isle, Rita shook her head and smiled too.

…

After a dash round the £1 shop next door (she dashed in case someone there recognised her; before Eleanor came along, she wouldn't have been seen dead in a reduced price shop) she bagged up her purchases and went straight back to her car. Rita had been right; she'd managed to buy a Hello Kitty egg, 2 Cadbury eggs, a Thorntons egg, a chocolate rabbit, a bag of mini eggs and a bag of Lindor eggs, and all for under £10, though not that it mattered with her salary. Satisfied, she started up the engine and set off for home.

When she unlocked the door, she found the house silent and still.

"Eleanor?" She called, locking the door behind her.

"Drawing!" She called back, and Connie put the bags on the stairs before she entered her living room to find her table covered in drawings. Zoe was knelt next to the girl, very into colouring in a rabbit and she only looked up when she realised Connie was leant against the doorway, watching her in amusement.

"Enjoying yourself Dr Hanna?" She asked, lips twitching into a smile.

"I am actually. I haven't coloured in since I was about 12!" She stood, groaning and tapping her left foot on the floor. "Pins and needles." She explained to Eleanor who looked up at her curiously. The girl nodded and smiled before standing.

"Thank you for keeping an eye on me Zoe." The girl beamed and hugged her quickly. Zoe squeezed her back and went over to Connie.

"You took longer than I expected." She commented, and the clinical lead just rolled her eyes.

"No eggs in Waitrose, I had to go to the pound shop next door." She lowered her voice and shuddered and Zoe shook her head.

"The great Connie Beauchamp has been in a quid shop, who'd have thought it?" Connie just sighed.

"I also had a run in with Rita. Cheeky one isn't she." The woman muttered before going and opening the door for Zoe.

"She's harmless enough." Zoe smiled. "Anyway, I'd be happy to help anytime, just send us a text. She's a lovely little girl."

"I know. I'm really enjoying looking after her actually, I was rather hesitant at first."

"I can tell." Zoe raised her eyebrows. "Heard anything from social services yet?"

"No. I rang them on Tuesday but they've not tracked her mother down yet. They know her name and where she was last seen, but they don't know where she is now."

"Poor thing." The consultant sighed, pulling her handbag further up her shoulder. "Well I'd better get back, Max will be wondering where I am."

"Alright, thanks again." Connie smiled and waved her off, before locking the door and running the bags of Easter eggs upstairs to her room.


	18. Chapter 18

**I know I updated yesterday but I felt like uploading this chapter anyway- why not? xD Also, if anyone here is on tumblr, I have a new blog! It's called "shoelacefanficprompts" and you basically message in any ideas for fanfictions you have, and inspire other people to write them! So if you have any ideas for fics then send them in- who knows what might come of it? :D**

**I hope you all enjoy this update and reviews would be lovely! I have my first GCSE in 8 days and I am absolutely cr*pping myself, but even so- I still seem to spend more time on this website rather than doing my revision! XD -Sophie x**

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That evening, once Eleanor had fallen asleep, Connie got to work. At around 10pm, she snuck up to her room and opened her wardrobe, where she'd hidden the eggs on the top shelf. Trying not to rustle the plastic carrier bags too much, the clinical lead picked them up and took them downstairs, tip-toeing as she went.

She hid each item in a place that wasn't dead obvious, but not too hard either. This brought back fond memories for doing Easter hunts for Grace when she was younger, and the brunette smiled to herself as she slipped the last egg under the coffee table in the living room. Her daughter had loved Easter mornings, and used to spend all day pestering to eat all of her eggs at once. She usually ended up having half of them that day, and the rest didn't last very long either!

Satisfied with her hiding spots, Connie poured herself a glass of water and went upstairs to bed.

…

The following morning, the sun rose early and bright, and the woman stirred awake at just gone 7am. Still half asleep, she listened out for footsteps leading to her room, still thinking Grace was home. When she finally realised that it was Eleanor that was now sleeping in her home, her heart dropped slightly. The little girl was lovely, and there was no doubt that Connie did care about her; but she wasn't her daughter. That was the only thing.

After mulling over her life choices for the best part of an hour, she decided to get up and go wake Eleanor before she began to pull her hair out; it _was _Easter Sunday after all. She swung her legs over the side of her mattress and sat up, pushing the stray strands of hair from her face and wiping the sleep from her eyes. After a quick splash in the bathroom sink and a run through with the hairbrush, Connie pulled on her dressing gown and padded across the landing, bare toes sinking into her soft cream carpet as she stopped at the door to her spare room. She knocked gently, but there was no reply.

The woman pushed open the slightly ajar door, and she immediately smiled to herself. Eleanor was curled up in a ball on her side, duvet hanging off of the bed revealing a pink set of tattered pyjamas. Her blonde curls tickled her gentle face, and she hugged her blanket whilst she slept. Her cheeks, still prominent with childhood, were pink and rosy and her small hands clutched at her blanket.

Connie didn't have the heart to wake her.

Instead she went back to her room, leaving the door half open as she got herself showered and dressed. By the time she had finished with the hairdryer and her deep chocolate locks had been tamed, the girl was awake.

"Morning Connie." She smiled blearily, rubbing at her nose as she stood in the doorway to the clinical lead's room. The girl was now dressed and she too had managed to calm her hair down to simple waves. Her bare feet tickled each other as she tried to balance on one foot, grasping the door handle for support.

"Morning Eleanor. You know what day today is don't you?" She asked, smiling as she stood from her dresser and pulled her hair over one shoulder. The girl looked up at her blankly.

"It's Sunday? In the Easter holidays?" Connie pressed, and suddenly her face lit up.

"It's Easter Sunday!" She exclaimed, falling back onto two feet and clapping her hands together. "That means I get my Easter egg!"

"Oh, well, I don't know about that- you'll have to go see if the Easter bunny's been first!" Connie raised her eyebrows and Eleanor beamed.

"Come on, let's go look! I hope he's left me a Hello Kitty one this year!" She bounded off back onto the landing and began to thump down the stairs like a baby elephant. Connie internally high fived herself for picking the right ones, and made a mental note to not be so cruel towards Rita as she was the one to suggest the pound shop.

"But not too nice." She decided, and she nodded slightly before following the little figure downstairs.

She got to the alarm just in time before it registered their movements and began to blare, and upon entering the kitchen, she found Eleanor clutching at a predominantly pink egg and her face was an absolute picture.

"Thank you thank you thank you Easter bunny!" She beamed, and Connie felt her heart physically tug.

"Guess what? I think he might have left more this year." A smile crept onto her face as she looked around her kitchen and into the living room. "For example, he knows you've done some great drawings recently…" She trailed off as the girl caught on. She ran into the living room and knelt down, before her mouth dropped as she pulled out a Cadbury Marvellous Creations egg.

"I have two?! I must have been better behaved than I thought I was!" She smiled and hugged them both to her chest.

"If you look closely, you'll have more than just two." Connie just raised her eyebrows before making herself a cup of coffee, and pouring the girl a glass of her favourite smoothie. The woman sat and watched as Eleanor darted about the living room and kitchen, collecting together all her chocolate treats. Once she had found them all, the girl clambered up onto one of the bar stools and took her drink, warm and sweaty from the excitement. Her cheeks were even redder than before, and her eyes were bright.

"That was the best thing ever! I only usually get one egg. Mummy said it was because I was bad." She said, slurping the smoothie through her straw and swinging her legs. Connie was sat across from her, and she cupped her coffee on the table.

"You're not a bad girl. You're a child." She said simply, and Eleanor seemed to understand, though she looked slightly confused for a few minutes.

"So… I'm a good girl?" She asked, and Connie laughed slightly before standing and putting her empty cup on the side.

"Yes you are, though not when you go snooping on my laptop."

"I said I was sorry!" The girl protested, copying Connie and going to put her plastic cup on the side.

"I know, I was only teasing you. I'm going to my study, I'll be there if you want me ok?"

Eleanor nodded, and just before the woman left the room, she darted forwards and hugged the clinical lead tightly. Connie was slightly taken aback for a moment, before she enveloped the child in a quick hug.

"Thank you Connie. For telling the Easter bunny I was a good girl now." She whispered into her side, and Connie just smiled. Her innocence was the most beautiful thing.

"You're very welcome sweetheart." She whispered back, before letting go and watching the bright little spirit skip into the living room before she turned and walked away, gaze lingering those extra few seconds longer than it should have.


	19. Chapter 19

**Hi guys,**

**I have my first GCSE exam in two days (Lord help me) which means I'm going to have a good two months of exams and revision. This also means that I probably won't have enough time for writing for a while.**

**So, this is just a quick message to say updates on this story won't be as regular as they usually are, if at all- if I get a spare two minutes then I will try writing but I don't imagine it will be updated 'til around the middle of June- my last exam is the 16th of June but I still have to stay in school after that apparently ;-;**

**So I hope you have a great couple of months without me around (I'll still be on PM I imagine so if you fancy a chat then I'll be there xD) and I'll see you soon!**

**-Sophie x**


	20. Chapter 20

**Hello! I'm back again :D this chapter might be a bit rusty as I've not been writing properly recently, but I thought I'd update anyway xD You might want to re-read the last chapter if you can't remember what's going on :)**

**Hope you all enjoy and reviews would be lovely! -Sophie x**

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Their Easter Sunday consisted of doing not very much, eating much more chocolate than they should have, and watching lots of children's tv shows. Connie knew this was their last day together before she went back to work the next day, and in a way she was slightly saddened. Spending all this time with Eleanor had made her really quite happy, and she knew as soon as she returned to work all that would disappear. She began to worry about the little girl; would she still get to spend time with her after work? Or will it go down the road that hers and Grace's relationship went down and they hardly ever got to see each other again?

Only tomorrow knows, she thought as she curled up on the sofa with her laptop on her knee. She was replying to Grace's e-mail when her phone rang, and she went into the kitchen to answer it.

"Hello Charlie."

"Connie. Happy Easter- just calling to see how things are."

"They're ok thank you. Nice day?"

"Ok actually. Tess bought me an Easter egg because I was complaining I never got any anymore, so I've been working my way through that for most of the day."

"Wait, it's taken you all day to eat one egg?" Connie asked, a small smile spreading across her face. "Me and Eleanor have polished off at least 4 already."

"Piggies." Charlie muttered before clearing his throat. "Did you phone social services about the suspected abuse?"

"Oh shoot. No, I didn't. If you remind me I'll do it tomorrow on my lunch break."

"Great. Well I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

"You will. Bye Charlie."

"Bye."

Connie ended the call then went back into the living room to finish off her e-mail. However she found the battery had died and she had to stick it on charge instead.

…

The following day the two females were up bright and early. Iveta arrived at half past 7, just before Connie left for work.

"Right if there's any problems phone me on my work's phone. Don't let her eat all the easter eggs please, she had enough yesterday. There's a pasta bake in the oven ready to be cooked and take her out for lunch, anywhere she fancies."

"Yes Mrs Beauchamp." She said in her jolly Latvian accent. "I will take good care of her, like I did Gracie, yes?"

"Perfect. Right, I'd better be going. Bye Eleanor!" She called into the living room, and was just getting her shoes on when the little girl bounded round the corner, still in her pajamas, and gave the woman a huge hug.

"Have a nice day!" She beamed, and Connie couldn't help but smile.

"I will sweetheart, you too. See you later."

"Bye!"

…

As soon as Connie started her shift, casualties from a large RTC was brought in which kept her on her toes for a while. She delegated different tasks to her staff and went round double checking and diagnosing here and there, until she couldn't stand for much longer.

"I'm going to do some admin, if you need me go ask someone else." She muttered to Charlie as she walked past him to her office. She shut the door with a sigh and got started on a huge pile of reports Zoe seemed to have ignored whilst she was off. Half way through she realised she still needed to call social services, and did that quickly before carrying on.

She had just two reports to finish amending when Robyn knocked on the door. Connie looked up and realised it was time to go home. She sighed before motioning for her to come in.

"Mrs Beauchamp there's been a major crash-"

"Another one?!" She exclaimed before rolling her eyes and standing. "Sorry but it's the end of my shift. Get Charlie or Zoe to lead it."

"But-" She began before a shrill "Connie!" rang throughout her office and a small figure pushed past the nurse at the door.

"Eleanor? What are you doing here?" She asked, unable to mask her surprise as Iveta slipped past Robyn and stood by the door.

"She wanted to come see you… You said take wherever so I brought her." She shrugged.

"Oh. Well, thank you. You can go now, I'll take her home."

"Ok. Bye bye Ellie-anor. See you tomorrow, yes?"

"See you tomorrow!" They air high-fived and the little girl giggled as the nanny left, swiftly avoiding a tall ginger haired consultant on her way out, who joined Robyn at the door.

"Connie this is an urgent case." Dylan pressed her. "A plane crashed in some fields and there's multiple casualties, most are critical. We need you working."

"Dylan no, I need to get home-"

"Connie please. I hate this begging lark but we need another pair of hands so please put me out of my misery and come out here."

She looked from him to Eleanor then back again, and sighed.

"Eleanor I'm so sorry, you're going to have to stay here just a little while longer whilst I help out. Is that ok?"

"Yeah. Can I draw at your desk?" She asked, eyes deep and innocent. Connie laughed and pulled a block of paper from the printer.

"Here you go- there should be some coloured pens in the bottom drawer. Stay here for me please, ok? Don't move, I'll see you soon."

"Ok."

…

An hour later and the casualties were still flooding in. The plane had been meaning to land at Holby international from Alicante, but a problem with the engine caused it to fail and they had to make an emergency landing in some farmers fields. It was a full flight, with 212 passengers and 6 crew on board. 38 passengers died on impact, alongside the pilot and co-pilot. The remaining passengers and crew were divided between Holby and St James', but that still meant a huge influx of patients. Like that morning but on a much bigger scale, Connie was rushed off of her feet.

Her last patient was brought in an hour and 15 minutes after the crash happened. She was a passenger with brown hair like a bird's nest, and she smelt very strongly of alcohol. Her clothes had seen better days, and her tan had burnt so her skin was beginning to peel.

"Hello I'm Mrs Beauchamp and I'm going to be treating you today. Can you tell me your name?"

"Maria. Maria Valecia. My arm's killin' me." She spoke with a local accent, unlike her name which Connie presumed to be Spanish.

"Ok. Robyn?!" She called over to the nurse who appeared by her side. "Chase up Maria Velacia's medical history please, asap."

She nodded and went over to the nurses station, whilst Connie checked Maria over.

"Right your tests have come back fine, but it looks as if you've got a broken arm. When we get your history we'll plaster that up for you and you can be on your way."

"Good." The patient spat, looking around. "Bloody 'ate 'ospitals. Gimme the creeps."

Connie took a deep breath and put on a fake smile. "We'll have you out of here as fast as we can, don't you worry."


	21. Chapter 21

**Update day! I haven't gotten round to writing any more than this for this fic yet, but I have a feeling the next update, like "Goodbye darling, I love you", will be an epilogue. **

**Thank you all for your lovely and encouraging reviews- this wasn't actually meant to be as long as it has turned out to be- I sort of got carried away with myself xD But I'm glad you've enjoyed reading and I hope you like this chapter! Epilogue should be up this time next week :) -Sophie x**

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"Connie?" Robyn called, and the consultant went over to see what she wanted.

"Um, there's no Maria Valecia on the database." She scrolled up and down the list of names on the screen. "She must have given us a fake one, unless she's some kind of ghost or something."

"Right, ok thank you."

She turned and clicked back to the end of the woman's bed and crossed her arms.

"Your name is not Maria Valecia so don't give me that. You're wasting my time so please tell me your proper name." She said curtly, looking directly at the woman with a straight face. Before the woman could speak however, someone else spoke Connie's name.

"Connieeee when can we go hoooooome?" The whine came from Eleanor who trailed to the clinical lead's side. The woman in the bed froze, eyes fixed on the little girl.

"Eleanor?" Her voice was full of disbelief, and when the girl looked up at the bed, she froze too.

"I'm sorry, do you two know each other?" Connie asked, confused. She received no answer, only silence as they looked at each other.

"I'm sorry please will either of you tell me what's going on?" She snapped, "I really don't have time for this, I'm 2 hours late home as it is."

Connie looked down to Eleanor who stood by her side, to find the small figure shaking. The woman frowned.

"Eleanor? What's the matter?" Connie glanced up at her patient to find her face becoming increasingly red. The tension rose and the doctor soon managed to put two and two together.

"So you're Mrs Chambers, Eleanor's mother." The clinical lead said flatly, trying to suppress the anger that was beginning to bubble. The woman nodded, eyes not leaving her daughter's.

"Stella. Why is _she_ 'ere?" She spat the words, tone harsh causing the little girl to jump.

"_She_ came to me after you abandoned her for two months." Connie hissed, she too becoming increasingly angry. The woman's mouth dropped in delirious shock.

"How dare you accuse me of that, you 'ave no right, she's my daughter, nowt to do wi' you." The woman shuffled until she was sitting upright and swung her legs over the side of the bed. They had now acquired an audience, and the entirety of cubicles was silent. Robyn and Charlie watched from the nurses station, and Zoe joined them a few minutes later.

"I'm feelin' better now, I'm dischargin' myself. Come on El, we're goin'." She muttered, standing up and pulling on her shoes. She went to grab the little girl's arm but Connie moved in front of her.

"No." She said firmly, her voice shaking. "You are not taking her home with you."

"Excuse me?" Stella placed her good hand on her hip and raised her eyebrows. "That's _my _daughter, not yours lady. So move out of my way so I can take 'er 'ome."

She took a step forwards and Connie pushed Eleanor back gently.

"Go to Zoe sweetheart." She whispered and the girl ran over to the nurses station and behind the consultant's legs. The clinical lead then straightened up and stood over the young sunburnt mother, arms crossed and face fuming.

"Now you listen to me Mrs Chambers." Her voice was threateningly quiet. "That little girl was left by herself for two months without proper food or clean clothes. She was forced to ask a stranger for help, and luckily she chose me. She could have picked the house of someone much, much worse. But I took her in, fed her, clothed her and gave her a warm bed to sleep in. She told me all about you, how you'd punish her for the smallest of things, even starve her if she did something wrong. It's disgraceful."

The woman looked up at Connie, her breathing now fast. She fumbled in her pockets and brought out a small box of pills, shoving them in the taller woman's face.

"You know what these are?!" She asked, and Connie registered the name.

"Anti-depressants." She said flatly. "And?"

"I'm clinically depressed. These things are the only things that get me through the day. I had Eleanor at 15 and my own mother disowned me. Do you know 'ow 'ard it was, bringing up that girl by myself?"

"Funnily enough, yes." Connie muttered. Stella ignored her and carried on.

"I've been depressed since I 'ad 'er. I'm addicted to these pills. My life doesn't feel worth living. I needed to get away- so when I got accepted onto a travel and tourism course at the airport, I took it as a chance for a break. I didn't think about 'er, she's managed by 'erself loads of times when I've drank so much I've passed out. She's sensible. Insolent most of the time but sensible I guess. I needed to get away. I just didn't care about her anymore. I never really felt that connection like mothers and littl'uns are meant to. She was just something to create noise."

Connie was shocked into silence. Here she was, with a daughter that didn't want to see her but she loved desperately, and a woman who had a daughter she hated but who loved her.

"Can you just clarify a few things for me?" Connie asked quietly when she managed to process what the woman had told her. "You don't love Eleanor?"

"I never said that-" The woman protested but Connie raised her hand. She stopped and sighed.

"No."

"You don't want her around?"

"No."

"But you were still going to leave with her?"

"Yes."

"What were you going to do with her, punish her?" Connie raised her eyebrow when Stella failed to answer.

"Look at that little girl. Just look at her." Connie watched as the woman's gaze fell on the small figure hiding behind Zoe's legs, tears streaming down her face as she watched the scene unfold.

"She doesn't deserve this." The brunette said softly. Stella nodded and bit her lip, clutching the box of pills tight in her hand. Her eyes were beginning to brim.

"Why don't you do what's right and give her up for adoption. You'll be able to get the help you need and she'll get the loving home she deserves."

Stella looked over to her again and after hesitating; nodded.

"Ok. I get it, she deserves better than me. I'll stay, but you've got to explain everything to her. Tell her- tell her I'm sorry, and she'll have a better life now. Please."

Connie nodded and Stella smiled slightly.

"Um, thank you. Thanks."

"Get back into bed, I'll have someone come talk to you about a psych referral soon." Connie waited until she clambered back into bed before drawing the curtains around her cubicle and turning round.

"Alright, show's over- back to work please." She clapped her hands and the crowd dispersed. She went over to the nurses station where Robyn, Zoe, Charlie and Dylan stood. Eleanor pushed her way past Zoe and ran to the clinical lead, before being swept up into her arms.

"It's alright, it's all going to be ok now." Connie whispered as the girl buried her head in her neck.

"I called the police." Charlie said quietly, "They should be here in a few minutes. If you stay, we can get this sorted now."

Connie nodded. "I'll be in my office. Thanks, both of you." She looked from Charlie to Zoe before heading off to her office, giving Eleanor a comforting squeeze as she went.


	22. Epilogue

**Hello there!**

**If you follow me on tumblr then you might have seen the post concerning this update already, but if not- basically, it was my birthday yesterday and the day before updates is when I usually make sure everything's in order. However this epilogue completely slipped my mind until about half past 9 last night. I'm spending the whole of today getting ready for tonight's prom so I won't have time to edit, which means this last update will be short.**

**Sorry about that, but the outcome is what most of you seem to want so I hope that makes up for it! Thanks for all the support on this fic, I'm so glad you've enjoyed it :) -Sophie x**

* * *

By 11:30pm, the police had been and gone and social services had been called. It had been decided that Eleanor was to stay with Connie for the time being whilst they sorted out a care home. It was a good job actually because the little girl had long fallen asleep on her, her soft warm breaths tickling Connie's neck.

The following day the clinical lead received a call from the local care home saying they were going to take Eleanor and that they had put her profile up on their website. Her heart fell when she heard the inevitable, and decided she had to do something to ensure the little girl got the home she deserved; and Connie knew just where too.

So, before anyone else got the chance to even look at adopting her, she sent the request off and it was approved within days. When Eleanor was told, her entire face lit up and she leapt into Connie's arms.

It was the perfect ending for them both; Connie was no longer alone, and the little girl had a loving home with a woman she was unafraid to call her mummy.

Grace came round to the idea slowly; it took a few skype calls with Eleanor to get to know her and realise just how happy she made her mother. But eventually she warmed to her and promised to visit soon.

The week after she moved in officially, Connie sent off the forms for her name to be changed by deed-poll. With a beaming smile on her face as the woman read out the letter, Eleanor became Eleanor Lillian Beauchamp-Chambers; a mouthful, but she seemed over the moon with it.

Life was finally good, for them both, together.


End file.
